To say Ann Garvey was surprised to receive the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce’s 2013 Essence of E Award would be a bit of an understatement. Heading into the annual Chamber Awards Dinner, Garvey was under the impression the award would not be given out this year.
She was only under that impression because she has served on the selection committee for several years and was informed there were no viable candidates this year … until the announcement was made Thursday, Jan. 23.
“I see (the committee members) get up and I’m thinking, ‘I’m off the committee?’” Garvey joked after stepping to the front of the room to receive the award that honors Eleni Nicolaou-Sparks, or E as she was known to many. “E is my friend … she would be so proud of the community and what it’s become. We can’t let her down and can’t let each other down. We have to continue to fight to make this community the best that we can.”
The award is presented to someone in the community that exemplifies the spirit of E in how they represent the Charlotte community.
“E was a friend to everyone,” said committee member and friend, Christi Dutcher before the presentation of the award took place. “She was one of those truly rare individuals with the capacity to make you feel like she’d just been waiting for you to show up … she celebrated births and mourned losses with many of us.”
E passed away in 2002 following a battle with cancer, but Dutcher said her amazing spirit is evident frequently. She was the consummate Charlotte kid, Dutcher said, always shopping Charlotte and encouraging others to do so.
Garvey possesses many similar qualities, said E’s daughter, Mari Calton, who presented Garvey with the award.
“Few people in this community have worked so tirelessly to celebrate, market and encourage the basic idea of Celebrate Charlotte,” Calton said. “This individual has spent hours networking with those regional personalities with clout and those who have the connections to share our wonderful little town with those uninitiated with our wonderfulness.”
