BELLE GLADE — The third annual Glades Community Service Awards will be held this Saturday, August 14, 2021 and will highlight the “stars” of western Palm Beach County (PBC), whether they’re in Belle Glade, Pahokee or South Bay.

The event will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. at St. John 1st Missionary Baptist Church, located at 600 SW 8th St., Belle Glade. Tickets are $35 and will be available at the door.

There will be 14 awards given, including in the following categories: Nonprofit Organization of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year and Small Business of the Year. And thanks to the large number of sports stars out there, there will also be an award for Little League of the Year.

The Awards are the brainchild of Tyron Hanna, the founder of Thrive For A Change of the Palm Beaches, Inc., a grassroots-based nonprofit founded in 2014 to help former inmates become self-sufficient as they return to their communities. He is also from Belle Glade.

“It’s important to celebrate our communities — especially when there is so much to recognize,” said Mr. Hanna, who now lives in West Palm Beach. “The Glades deserves attention too. It has a lot of stars that deserve recognition. As I always say: ‘today’s choices determine tomorrow’s achievements.’“

The event host will be Shanita Maybin, a home health aide from Belle Glade, while the main speaker will be Dr. Sylvia Sharps, who is planning to run for District 6 of the Palm Beach County Board of Commissioners next year. She, too, is from the area.

Thrive For A Change is based in West Palm Beach. It provides rehabilitation support in all its forms: housing, jobs, social skills training and family re-connection. It had also hosted Jazz On The Muck earlier this year. As a fundraiser.