The Georgia Historical Society (GHS) has awarded the Sarah Nichols Pinckney Volunteer of the Year Award for 2021 to the AT&T Pioneers – NW Metro Council for their work in surveying and cleaning Georgia Historical Markers in the northwest Metro Atlanta area.
 
“GHS’s friendship with the AT&T Pioneers began in 2018, when they invited me to speak about the Georgia Historical Marker Program,” says GHS Marker Manger Elyse Butler. “Since that time, the AT&T Pioneers – NW Metro Council chose to survey and clean historical markers as their environmental service project, cleaning 100 markers in 2021 alone.”
 
Given annually, the Volunteer of the Year Award recognizes individuals and groups who have selflessly contributed their time and resources to advance the mission of the Georgia Historical Society to collect, examine, and teach Georgia history. It is named in memory of Sarah Pinckney, whose devotion set the standard for volunteering at GHS.
 
Founded in 1911, AT&T Pioneers is a nationwide network of volunteers comprised of current and retired AT&T employees who work to effect immediate, tangible change in their local communities. The Georgia Chapter is made up of thirteen Councils throughout the state with over 16,000 members.
 
“Preserving Georgia’s rich history is an important part of our AT&T Pioneer mission, so cleaning and maintaining historical markers in the Northwest part of our state has been a very rewarding and gratifying way to fulfill that mission,” said Eddie Hindman, President of the AT&T Georgia Pioneers. “It is an honor to receive this prestigious award from the Georgia Historical Society.”
 
“With over 2,200 historical markers across the state, GHS relies on volunteers like the AT&T Pioneers to help maintain our state’s historical markers,” added Butler. “Whether an individual or group wish to ‘adopt’ one historical marker or simply clean the marker, we appreciate their help.”
 
For more information about the Sarah Nichols Pinckney Award, please contact Patricia Meagher, Director of Communications, at 912.651.2125, ext. 153 or [email protected].
 
To become a community partner or adopt a historical marker, please contact Elyse Butler, Historical Marker Manager, at [email protected].