Photo by Bev Winesburgh
Key Points
- The Foliage Sertoma Club of Apopka opened nominations for the 2026 Service to Mankind Honoree with submissions due by April 10.
- The club will honor nominees at a community dinner on April 28 at the Fran Carlton Center where one will be named the 2026 Honoree.
- Last year's honoree, Mike MacWhithey, was recognized for his work at Apopka High and used the $250 award to build a hall of fame wall.
The Foliage Sertoma Club of Apopka has officially opened nominations for its 2026 Service to Mankind Honoree.
Foliage Sertoma, in partnership with the city of Apopka, The Apopka Chief, and AdventHealth Apopka, selects a group of nominees from public submissions every year. This year, the club will recognize the group at an April 28 community dinner at the Fran Carlton Center.
“For six years, the Sertoma Service to Mankind Dinner has honored over 100 selfless individuals who have made lasting impacts on our community by giving of their time, talent and love,” said a club press release.
Each nominee and a guest of his choosing will receive complimentary admission to the dinner, which is $25 for other community members. One nominee will receive the title of 2026 Service to Mankind Honoree, with a donation to a program of their choice. The honoree will also be entered in the national Sertoma Service to Mankind awards.
Last year, Foliage Sertoma named Mike MacWhithey as its honoree. The club honored his work as head softball coach at Apopka High School, as the school’s engineering teacher and as advisor for the school robotics club. MacWhithey used his $250 cash award to build a hall of fame wall for Blue Darter athletes.
“The bonus that earns Mike the respect of his students and their parents is his degree as a Blue Darter from Apopka High School,” said Roger Williams, who nominated MacWhithey, in a club statement last year. “Apopka is his hometown. That makes all the team and robotics achievements for the students and the school even more meaningful.”
Those wishing to nominate an Apopka resident may find the nomination form at foliagesertoma.org/forms/. Each nomination must be submitted with a $20 entry fee on or before April 10.
