Not only the superstars deserve some recognition! Recently the first SUN Awards were announced, and the intention was to award good old neighbourhood spirit! Here are the winners!

While the superstars gathered for a super gala event at the Golden Star Awards in Simborough, there was no specific gala event to honour the SUN Award winners. While Golden Star winners got fame and publicity, the SUN Award winners will keep doing their silent work, being good neighbours. Because that is often the way good neighbourhood works - silent and without the claim of recognition. Exactly what the SUN wanted to change; at least a few unselfish and generous sims were honoured this way.

There were 3 different categories: Community Service, Good Neighbour, and SUN Hood of the year. I decided to contact some of the winners!
 

SUN Hood of the year
The winner was Simborough, which shouldn't be a surprise at all after all tireless efforts they have put into the Golden Star Awards, web soaps and their community in general. You should visit their web site to learn more!

I asked the spokes sim and my friend, Anthony Troy, if he was surprised when getting to know they won the SUN Hood of the year award?

- We really couldn't believe it! I immediately informed Sally Phillips and she was stunned. We hadn't even realized that we'd been nominated! 

I recall Mr Troy being in the SUN core a while ago, but for how long has Simborough been a SUN member? 

- I think we've been a SUN member for about 2 years now. I was in the Core two sessions running but had to give it up due to increasing commitments at Simborough. 

When I ask Mr Troy what it takes to run a good neighbourhood, community wise, he replies that it takes a lot of determination and stamina and a good sense of people. It is very important to know what your residents want... you need to listen to them and try and juggle what they want with what you have the funds and effort to do.

Mr Troy thinks that Simborough is special because it's just a nice place to live in. After the plague, which killed all of the residents of Simborough, they had a completely fresh start, building something very special. Including a wide involvement for their web site, and they also have many local organizations. Mr Troy mentions the SSW (Society for Simmish Women) as particular important to a lot of the residents. 
 

Good  Neighbour
This award was won by Norah Wallace (Greymount) and runner up was Anne Briggon (Simmerville). 

Norah was nominated for iniating and head NewRIP (the New Resident Initiative Program) when Greymount was promoting a policy of immigration. Her efforts to help the new residents become acquainted with Greymount and it's policies as well as to personally invite neighbors to her home for dinner parties was amazing and the hood residents felt that Norah's efforts went beyond the definition of a good neighbor.

Norah Wallace admit she was a little shocked when winning the SUN Good Neighbour Award. She claims she didn't think her efforts were good enough to win the SUN Award, but the award reaffirms her belief that integrating new neighbors was a necessary task.

Greymount's Spokes Sim and superstar, Starr Grey, adds:

- Norah means that four people every other week will receive an ivory invitation inviting them to a dinner party at her home, catered by her wonderful husband who's cooking is DIVINE!. Norah also means that each new resident will receive a welcome basket, personal tour of the neighborhood with suggestions on how to spend their first Family Day. Norah means all SUN Exchange families will enter a home personally designed to facilitate their enjoyable stay. Without Norah, a lot of residents wouldn't know each other.

So what will the future be like for the award winner? Norah Wallace replies: 

- Well, Greymount is in a process of scaling back on their activities and I plan on creating a greater community harmony. The Hood Council has increased the budget for NewRIP [New Resident Initiative Program] so I am able to have bigger block parties, host more new neighbor dinners and overall help new residents get integrated into Greymount. I am also helping the Hood Council create our policy on SUN Exchanges and helping the SUN Exchange families become comfortable with Greymount.
 

Community service

The final category was the Community Service award. It was won by Johanna Grumblin (Simmerville) and the runner up was Adelaide Stone (Palatial Heights). 

Simmerville's Spokes Sim, Mrs Juliana Valentino, says that when the candidates were chosen at a local community event this Winter, absolutely everyone shouted that Johanna deserved it. She co-ordinated the nation wide Food Expo last Summer, she started the local Food Club, and together with her husband, Steve, she added to the hood by opening a home based restaurant. 

- Mrs Grumblin was never paid for any of her efforts, so we think the Award is very nice and in addition we, the local Hood Council, like to give her enough Simoleons to buy a decent computer for completing her latest cooking book.

The winner herself was speechless. She served her famous home made cake, shed a few tears and after a while she excused herself and stepped back into the house.

The runner up in this category lives in Palatial Heights, congratulations, Adelaide Stone!

- Thank you very much. I was very surprised because I have heard from Carla about the nominees and these people were all so generous when it came to giving to the community.  So I was very surprised I was even considered.

Palatial Height's Spokes Sim and SUN's leader, Carla Niven, explains that Adelaide Stone was nominated because she is a very giving and generous resident.

- She donated a huge amount of money to built the Palatial Heights Park where we host all our summer activities.  Everybody in the hood donated some, but we couldn’t have done it without Adelaide and we are very grateful.

Just like the Good Neighbour runner up, Mrs Briggon, also Adelaide Stone is rather new in the hood. Carla Niven tells that Adelaide has only been in out hood for a few months. 

- She moved here from Australia in late fall.  Since her move Palatial Heights has been better known because of this famous superstar and a lot more sims are now wanting to visit here and go to her concerts and even meet her.  Everyone is benefiting from this i.e. small privately owned boutiques, restaurants and all other shops.

In the near future Adelaide Stone will be involved in creating a shelter for stray cats and dogs.
- I am a huge animal lover and I would like to have something built for all these neglected animals where volunteers could take care of them.
 

Where are the men?
All these nice sims most definitely deserve the honour of the SUN Awards. Adding to the hoods in their good ways. But why are the majority female? I'm hopefully not the only sim wondering where the men are hiding? Only one man in this fine company is something to worry about. Do female sims care more about the hood and to keep the community spirit alive?

Next round of the SUN Awards is a year ahead - that's a long time for you guys to make a difference in your own hood! Hopefully the Award might inspire some of you? Let's hear what some Spoke Sims think of the Award and how it can affect their communities.

Starr Grey (Greymount): Many sims focus a lot on their household and just a handful friends, ignoring the other residents. In other words, it is possible that some locals feel very much alone, and with the SUN Awards I think a hood's community will be aware of all its contents.

Carla Niven (Palatial Heights): I think the SUN Awards will have an effect in our community. It will encourage sims to get involved in the community and show that their support is appreciated and recognized and I think it will draw in more sims to a nicer community.

Anthony Troy (Simborough): It's great to know that all that hard work has paid off. It gives clarity and certainty to what's been done. Simborough can only go up and up from here! 

Juliana Valentino (Simmerville): I am sure that the awards will be a great inspiration because it might trigger the sims that want to do something but who are afraid what others might say if they step ahead. I think the hood recognizing the good efforts will be a good excuse for making the hood a better and safer place!