Awesome. Irreplaceable. Extraordinary. Patient. Giving. Compassionate. Beautiful. Caring. These are just a few of the words to describe the nominees for the 2011 Moore County Caregiver Awards. Caregivers innately have the ability to know, understand and react to the needs of others. They, too, tend to always put the needs of others above their own. What it is exactly that makes these special individuals so giving may be unknown, but their caring natures have not gone unrecognized this year.

Members of the community submitted nominations through September. A selection community of independent judges met and reviewed the nominations, making the very difficult decision and choosing two finalists and the Caregiver of the Year from a very deserving group of nominees.

In a ceremony held Oct. 28 at Sandhills Community College’s Dempsey Student Center, nominees were recognized for their achievement. Nationally-known storyteller Mitch Capel in his persona of Grandaddy Junebug captured the attention of those in attendance. Poet Malaika King Albrecht shared a few selections from her book, “Lessons in Forgetting,” a collection of poetry inspired by her mother’s plight with Alzheimer’s disease. OutreachNC magazine humor columnist Barb Cohea kept the audience laughing before the judges announced Bonnie Brown of Carthage and Kimberly Hicks of Vass as this year’s finalists, and Brenda “Sunshine” Brown of Pinehurst as the 2011 Moore County Caregiver of the Year.

Bonnie Brown, a certified nursing assistant (CNA), provides private-duty care and is described as a “compassionate and attentive caregiver.”

“As long as I’m able, I want to do for others. It is a pleasure to do what I do every day,” says Bonnie Brown of the recognition.

Hicks holds a 23-year tenure in the beauty salon at Penick Village, a continuing care retirement community in Southern Pines and was recognized for her “abundance of love for the elderly.”

“It makes me feel good to assist people and help make them feel good,” explains Hicks of the many residents of varying degrees of ability who visit the salon.

Sunshine Brown, a CNA and a medical technician at Fox Hollow Senior Living in Pinehurst, cares for residents in the specialized Alzheimer’s care unit bringing “ a ray of hope, love and joy with her smile.”

“I don’t do anything for recognition,” says Sunshine Brown with tears and her wide smile, “everything I do is from the heart.”

It is sponsorship of the event that makes honoring the nominees possible.

“We are thrilled to be hosting the caregiver awards for a second year,” says Amy Natt, chief executive of Aging Outreach Services, a multi-service elder care firm in Southern Pines and founder of the Caregiver Awards. “This event brings together multiple community organizations and allows us to collectively honor the caregivers, who are at the core of caring for older adults in our community. Each year provides a chance to say thank you, and we hope that it will keep growing.”

Gold sponsors making the 2nd Annual Moore County Caregiver Awards possible are Sandhills Community College, Penick Village, Moore Registry and OutreachNC.

Angel sponsors include FirstHealth Home Care Services, Fox Hollow Senior Living, Elmcroft of Southern Pines, and Garner Law Firm.

Helping Hands sponsors are Carolina Eye Associates, Health Innovations Pharmacy, Liberty Home Care & Hospice, Four Oaks Bank, Community Home Care, Mollie Tobias Photography, Davis Video Productions, Prime Time Limousines, Uniquely Chic, Absolute Wellness Massage, Staples, National Golf Club and Crescent State Bank.