Sarah Martin is the recipient of the Town of Cary’s annual Hometown Spirit Award, which is designed to recognize community-minded citizens who enhance the quality of life in Cary.

Mayor Harold Weinbrecht announced the 2021 winner during the Tuesday, Nov. 9, Council meeting.

Martin is a longtime community volunteer and leader in Cary. She has served on Cary’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Advisory Board, Cary’s Festivals Committee, and most recently as the Chair of the Cary150 Task Force, which focused on celebrating our Town’s Sesquicentennial this past year.

Martin, a self-proclaimed Cary cheerleader, says learning the history of a place is important to feeling connected to it. But coming together for big community events like the Cary Sesquicentennial helps residents also feel connected to each other.

“We’re in such a unique place. The growth in this community, over the years, forces us in some ways to reach out and make connections with each other,” said Martin. “Once folks get here, they are looking to reach out and meet their neighbors and figure out what Cary is about.”

Martin’s nominators wrote that in the nearly 30 years she has called Cary home, she has been one of the most prolific supporters of worthy causes and organizations in Cary and the greater Wake County.

Inspired by a suggestion from Cary citizen Clifton Barnes, the Hometown Spirit Award is bestowed upon citizens with demonstrated leadership and integrity. In addition, the recipient must exemplify at least one of the following criteria: Helps neighbors and fellow Cary citizens; Demonstrates hospitality; promotes and preserves traditional American pastimes; shows a concern for preservation and works to preserve traditions and the small-town atmosphere in the community; promotes a sense of community in their neighborhood and all of Cary; demonstrates patriotism through promotion and preservation of the country’s symbols and dedication to the U.S. military, past and present; and serves the community through business.

Cary residents age 21 and older were eligible for the award. In addition to Martin, this year’s finalists were Carla Michaels and Barry Mitsch.

Carla Michaels is an active member of the Friends of the Page-Walker Board and serves on their Preservation Committee and leads the Asbury Station Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. Michaels puts her historical knowledge to work as a guide on Cary’s historic trolley rides and by advocating for preserving Cary’s historical buildings and properties.

Barry Mitsch is co-founder of The Pyramid Resource Group–a corporate coaching company in Cary–and is an adjunct faculty member for NC State’s Jenkins MBA program. Mitsch has served on the Cary Chamber’s Board of Directors, Chair for the Cary Sports Alliance, and has served on five of Cary’s boards, including the Senior Advisory Board where he is currently Chair.

For more information, visit townofcary.org/spirit.