Council on Aging Martin County Announces 2026 Sage Awards Honorees

Stuart, FL – For the past decade, the Sage Awards has honored outstanding seniors in Martin County  who continue to enrich the world around them. They prove that age is not an indicator of how much a person can contribute to his or her community.

 

The Council on Aging Martin County, the sponsor of the Sage Awards, has announced this year’s honorees:

Chairman’s Award: Suzy Hutcheson

Charlie Kane Award: Jim Snedeker

Arts & Culture: Neil E. Capozzi

Education: Marian Carpenter

Health, Science & Medicine: Sandie Cox

Military & Veterans Support: Robert Shurts, presented posthumously

Faith-Based: Noreen Perez

Community Service: Bernice T. Simpson

 

They will be honored at a dinner on Wednesday, March 25, at Piper’s Landing Yacht & Country Club.

 

“All of our honorees have an impressive record of accomplishments for all they did throughout their working lives,” said Council on Aging Martin County CEO Karen Ripper. “They come from every walk of life but share a remarkable dedication and deep compassion for others. Each of them is creating a legacy of service to the community in their senior years, and we’re delighted to recognize them with a Sage Award.”

 

A special Lotus Society recognition will also take place at the Sage Awards dinner. The William and Helen Thomas Charitable Trust and the United Way of Martin County will be saluted for their ongoing support of the mission and programs of the Council on Aging Martin County.

 

In celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the Sage Awards, the Council on Aging Martin County is introducing a new and meaningful honor this year: the Unsung Hero Award. The community was invited to help identify seniors whose contributions often happen behind the scenes. These are individuals who volunteer faithfully, mentor generously, and uplift others through consistent acts of kindness, leadership, and service, often without public acknowledgment. The honoree will be announced at the Sage Awards dinner.

 

Dr. Reza Khatib, an internationally renowned neurosurgeon and resident of Palm City, is the Presenting Sponsor for the Sage Awards. Sponsors include: Dinner Sponsor: Richard A. Zappala Family Foundation; Honoree Sponsors: The Community Foundation Martin-St. Lucie, Nearing & Dallas Wealth Management at RBC Wealth Management, Edward J. Yen, CIMA, CPWA, Senior Vice President/Investments, Stifel/Palm Beach Wealth Advisory Group; Wisdom and Worth Sponsors: Dadko Wealth Management of Janney Montgomery Scott LLC, Nancy Goethel, CFP®, CIMA®, CRPC®- Vice President of Investments at Raymond James, Ross Earle Bonan Ensor & Carrigan, P.A., Sandhill Cove Retirement Living, The Saelzer/Atlas Wealth Management Team of Raymond James; Sage Sponsors: HBK CPAs & Consultants, South Florida Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, Water’s Edge Health Care, Rehabilitation, Assisted Living at Sandhill Cove; Supporters of Sage Sponsor: Berger, Toombs, Elam, Gaines & Frank.

 

To purchase tickets, learn more about the Sage Awards, and read the biographies of current and past honorees, visit www.coa.org, or contact Michele Leigh Jacobs at 772-223-7803 or mjacobs@coamartin.org.

 

For seniors, their families, and caregivers, the Council on Aging Martin County is their trusted and comprehensive hub for senior resources. We work with the community to reduce anxiety, depression, loneliness, and hunger. Together, we help seniors live a safer, healthier, and happier life.

 

From our Adult Day Club, Day Primary Care Center, case management, and memory enhancement programming, to our nutrition and exercise classes, games to improve memory, concerts and social events, the Council on Aging’s Kane Center on Salerno Road is a beehive of activities. Services also take to the road – like Meals on Wheels, providing a hot meal and a warm smile to more than 580 homebound and needy Martin County senior residents in their home each day, or Senior Dining Centers at locations throughout the county in Stuart, Jensen Beach, Indiantown and Hobe Sound. The Elder Care Mobile Outreach Bus brings knowledgeable and compassionate staff directly to seniors in local neighborhoods.

 

For 51 years, the Council on Aging Martin County has been working tirelessly to inspire a community that embraces, uplifts and encourages seniors to maintain lives of quality and purpose. Stay healthy. Be active. Eat well. Get help when you need it from the Council on Aging Martin County. Please visit us in person, online at coamartin.org, or on social media, and learn more about the many services of the Council on Aging Martin County. Our staff and volunteers are ready and eager to help.