From left, Brantley Fry, Southern Research; Ethan Hill, The Altamont school; Ashley Woods, Birmingham Children’s Theatre; and Dr. Nita Carr, Cornerstone Schools.The Women’s Committee of 100 for Birmingham held its Awards Day Luncheon at the Country Club of Birmingham on April 25.
Each year, the group recognizes individuals, corporations and/or businesses that make outstanding contributions to the city and state.
This year’s award recipients are Southern Research, Birmingham Children’s Theatre, Altamont student Ethan Hill and Dr. Nita Carr.
Southern Research
Southern Research received special recognition for its role in driving breakthroughs that improve the community and world health.
It was founded in 1941 and by 2021 had generated about 600 life-saving patents and produced 20 FDA-approved drugs. It has helped transform cancer treatment by developing, improving or testing half of the chemotherapies currently existing, and it has partnered with 150 commercial customers in biotech and pharmaceutical services, alongside UAB and UAB Medicine endeavors.
Birmingham Children’s Theatre
Birmingham Children’s Theatre received the 75th Anniversary Award for making an exceptional contribution to conserve and promote the history and culture of our state.
Birmingham Children’s is one of the nation’s oldest and largest professional theater companies for young audiences and Birmingham’s only professional theater company with a focus on the education of children through the arts.
Theater leaders believe the arts are integral to enriching lives, promoting mental wellness and fostering joy, and so the theater strives to provide live theater as an essential service that improves the quality of life of individuals. It provides these performances as well as integrated arts education to any school or individual that requests it – regardless of their funding or ability to pay.
Ethan Hill
Ethan Hill, 12, received the Humanitarian of the Year Award for promoting human welfare and striving to improve the human condition.
Ethan, a student at The Altamont School who is the son of Ebony and David Hill, has been helping homeless people in Birmingham since he was 6 years old.
In 2016, Ethan was on his way to school when he noticed a man living under a freeway overpass. He was determined to help the man. After school, he began to research ways he could provide aid to the homeless. A few weeks later, Ethan used his Christmas money to buy food, snacks, water, tarps and toiletries to give to the man, whom he came to know as Mr. Marcus.
Ethan provided supplies for others who were living under the freeway. His generosity has blossomed into Ethan’s Heart Bags 4 Blessings, a nonprofit organization centered on donating goods to the homeless in Birmingham and surrounding cities. The organization calls for donations so Ethan, with the help of his parents, can create and deliver care packages to the homeless.
Ethan’s Heart has given more than 3,000 care packages to homeless people in Birmingham. Ethan stays in touch with Mr. Marcus, the man who inspired him to start helping the homeless. Ethan and his organization have been recognized with awards and honors, including by Time magazine and Disney World.
Dr. Nita Carr
Dr. Nita Carr received the Brother Bryan-Prayer Point Award in recognition of outstanding humanitarian contributions to the community that exemplify the life of the late Brother James Alexander Bryan, pastor of Third Presbyterian Church. He was known for his support of the poor and homeless.
As president of Cornerstone Schools of Alabama, Carr has transformed Cornerstone from a small inner-city Christian school that struggled to hire certified teachers into a K4-12 school on two campuses. The elementary school became the first International Baccalaureate primary school in Alabama. The schools offer tutoring, extra-curricular activities and sports programs.
Carr also has led the students and faculty in creating the “Cornerstone Way,” five character pillars that form the basis of a self-assessment that all students complete three times each year. The students reflect and set goals as a part of the effort to demonstrate growth in character each year.
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