Riggs and Sparks receive Citizen’s of the Year award

Tracy Pratt-Savage, chamber president, presents a plaque of recognition to Dr. Leon Riggs (center) and family members.

It was standing room only at the Neal Welcome Center in Carlisle, Sunday afternoon as more than 100 citizens, family and friends turned out to honor this year’s Citizen’s of the Year duo—Dr. Leon Riggs and Dr. Bob Sparks.

The event was also live-streamed on Facebook by administrator Jerry Johnson that another 350 people have viewed.

The Carlisle-Nicholas County Chamber nominates and votes on a “Citizen of the Year,” a person who has shown true dedication to improving the Community.

The following were nominated for this year’s award.

George Garrett and Becky Garrett who ran Garrett’s Restaurant in town, a social gathering place and heart of downtown open for breakfast and lunch seven days a week for 46 years.

Steve Scalf, who for several years ran the Carlisle Courier Newspaper, is past president of the Chamber of Commerce, very active in Rotary (formerly), Historical Society and Ministerial Association of Nicholas County.

Bascom Sorrell, past Chairman of the Carlisle-Nicholas County Economic Development Authority, former manager at the Jockey Plant, an active Rotary member who is constantly promoting the city and county working to bring new businesses to our area. Under his leadership the group changed from Industrial Development to Economic Development Authority and cooperation with the Chamber, City and County is the best it’s been in years.

Dr. Bob Sparks and Dr. Riggs are retired dentists who have worked together and served the county for many years.

Both have been long time supporters of the community, involved in Rotary, raised funds for the Backpack Program for Nicholas County school children, and this past year they worked with FRYSC director Paula Hunter to build 18 beds for students that were not chosen for Morehead “build a bed program”.

Chamber president Tracy Pratt-Savage presented the families of Dr. Riggs and Dr. Sparks with plaques and shared with the crowd the story of how the dentists have been friends since high school in Pikeville, who roomed together in college, ended up attending dental school at Louisville together and then moved to Carlisle to serve a “needy community” to fulfill scholarship requirements.

For 41 years they worked six days a week providing dental care to the community, regardless of anyone’s ability to pay. They lobbied and successfully brought fluoride to the water supply in Carlisle to prevent cavities in the school children.

Their Pikeville connections included a friendship with Governor Paul Patton’s wife who helped them get funding for a Health Department Building.

Both received 50-year pins from the Rotary in 2012. Dr. Riggs also served as a District Governor for Rotary and was instrumental in bringing the foreign exchange program to Carlisle. He hosted and adopted a student from Thailand that he helped get her college education and who now lives in Kentucky.

Dr. Sparks served on the Economic Development Authority Board and the board at Farmers Deposit Bank in Carlisle until his death the end of 2016.