Wig Bank wins national award

It's no secret to Caldwell County residents that the Wig Bank of Caldwell County is an amazing organization working at the forefront to provide much needed services to residents who have been faced with cancer.

The organization has now stepped into the national limelight, thanks to winning one of this year's elite Acts of Caring Awards. The Caldwell County Commission entered the Wig Bank into the running for the annual awards.

Commission Chairman Herb Greene said commissioners decided to nominate the Wig Bank because of its unique way of serving the public, and he is proud of the group and the work they do.

“It's just more evidence that when you do good things for people it helps everyone, including yourself,” Greene said.

More than 3,000 organizations from across the country were nominated for the award. Only 17 awards were handed out.

“It kind of took us back,” said David Icard, co-founder of the Wig Bank of Caldwell County. “We believe in what we're doing, and we know what we're doing is making a difference. And now people are seeing it in other places.”

A group from the Wig Bank traveled to Washington to receive the award and were happy to be able to meet volunteers from other organizations to hear about the work done by others.

“That just made me feel like this is what America's all about - that we are here to help one another,” Icard said.

Aside from the prestige of being just one of 17 organizations in the country to receive the Acts of Caring Award, the honro will allow the Wig Bank to make more of an impact, Icard said. He believes the award will give the organization an advantage when applying for grants and funding.

“It gives us a lot more credibility. This is about as big of a volunteer award that you can get,” Icard said. “With them going through more than 3,000 applicants and picking 17 of the best of the best, we were just so flabbergasted.”

While in Washington, the group - consisting of Icard, co-founder Alicia Stanislaw, Wig Bank Board member Patty Hayes, Caldwell Memorial Hospital Nurse Crystal Dula, RN and former Wig Bank board member Chris Sams - met with U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., and took a tour of the capitol.

“All of us go when we're in the 8th grade, but it was much more meaningful this time,” Icard said. “In Washington, everything is done first-class. They made us feel so very special.”

Of the 17 Acts of Caring awards given this year by the National Association of Counties, North Carolina organizations took home three of them.

“Sen. Burr was so very proud of his state and what we're doing,” Icard said.

While meeting Sen. Burr, Icard and the group also were introduced to senators from Arizona and Colorado. They were pleasantly surprised to find out the senators knew exactly where Caldwell County is located.

“These people knew all about Lenoir and Caldwell County, so that was very interesting and very heart- warming to see that we are making a difference,” Icard said.

For those who give of their time and lives volunteering for the Wig Bank, the award isn't as much about them as it is about the work they are doing on a daily basis, Icard said.

“It's very humbling just to be nominated by Caldwell County,” Icard said. “That is what it's all about because that's who we're doing it for. We feel like we have the whole community behind us, which has made it so wonderful.”

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