The 2025 Jim C. Coleman Award
Carol Perkins was presented with the Jim C. Coleman award by Herb Sparks. Photo | PJ Martin
By PJ Martin
Editor
The Herald-News
The Edmonton-Metcalfe Chamber of Commerce held its annual Christmas Banquet on November 24th at the old school gym.
As in previous years, local attorney Herbert Sparks presented the Jim C. Coleman award, now in its 31st year.
He explained to the record crowd of 214 plus, that he had prepared a great speech, but when he asked his wife Jan to look over it, she declared it needed to be cut down because it ‘would last an hour and a half.’
As in the past, Sparks delivered a wonderful speech dotted with humor and hints as to what was edited out, before presenting this year’s Jim C. Colman Award to Carol Perkins, who was thoroughly surprised, as the award was a secret that had been carefully kept from her.
Perkins spent several years as a teacher at Metcalfe County High School, and many in attendance had once been her students. She also taught at WKU, was a high school cheerleading sponsor, and hosted a radio show with another retired teacher, the late Susan Chambers.
Perkins has also authored several books, some with her friend Susan and others preserving the history of Metcalfe County for generations to come.
In recent years, Perkins has been the driving force behind Operation Christmas Child, which spreads the gospel to children in rural, impoverished areas of the globe. The shoebox mission, as it is referred to, is usually done by churches, a few hundred shoeboxes at a time; however, the whole county is involved in the shoebox mission in Metcalfe County. From monetary donations, seamstresses making bears, the nursing home residents stuffing bears, to school students packing shoeboxes, the mission is more than just a church.
We congratulate Carol Perkins for being named the 2025 Jim C. Coleman Award winner.
