Jaycees recognize Martin, Ramsey

By WILL STEWART / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

Keith Martin, left, and Rita Ramsey are the first African-Americans to win the Young Man and Young Woman of the Year awards given by the McMinnville Jaycees. (Will Stewart photo)

History was made at this year’s annual Jaycees Distinguished Service Award Banquet as Keith Martin and Rita Ramsey became the first African-Americans to win the club’s Young Man and Young Woman of the Year awards.

Designed to honor individuals who volunteer their time to activities which benefit the community, the awards were presented Saturday night at McMinnville Country Club.

A team leader at Bridgestone, Martin was honored for his involvement with youth sports. His work in that area includes being a commissioner and coach in the Warren County Youth Football League, a coach in the Civic Center baseball league and for a traveling baseball team, as well as a Jaycee basketball coach.

His wife, Susan, described him as an “old school” coach who stresses the fundamentals and who will go to great lengths to assist his players, including providing rides and shoes and other necessities to those who need them.

An athlete himself, Martin played nearly every sport during his high school career at Warren County Senior High, as well as collegiate football at Mississippi College. Today he stays active playing flag football, pick-up basketball and softball on the Bridgestone team.

“I was truly honored and surprised to win this award,” said Martin. “It means a lot to me that the things I’ve done without expecting payback have been noticed. I’ve never received anything of this magnitude before. I’m still in awe of it.”

Ramsey, a customer service representative at the Union Planters Bank in Wal-Mart, was honored for her work with a number of different volunteer organizations and community projects.

A member of Noon Exchange Club, she has chaired that organization’s Christmas shopping spree for underprivileged children for the past few years – a job which helped earn her Exchangite of the Year honors last year. Additionally, she has been known to help individuals and families with food and clothing needs, as well as to help fund raise for such organizations as Ronald McDonald House, March of Dimes and American Heart Association.

Union Planters president Glena Lee had nothing but praise for Ramsey. “She is a really kind-hearted person who goes out of her way to help people. When ever there’s something to be done, she always volunteers to help,” said Lee.