On Tuesday, Aug. 10 — more than six years after Hill’s death — Maxwell was presented the Robert “Sonny” Hill Humanitarian Award at the center that bears his name.
Maxwell, 55, said he was “humbled” to receive the award named in memory of one of his mentors.
“You’ve got to feel good,” Maxwell said after the presentation that was attended by numerous city officials and leaders. “This makes me proud. I miss him.”
Also Tuesday, the community center, which opened on May 2, 1925, was rededicated as the Robert “Sonny” Hill Jr. Community Center.
Hill’s widow, Pat, said her husband, who died in 2004 following a two-year battle with bone cancer, was “smiling down on us today.”
Vice-Mayor Anita Scott Jones called the celebration “a tremendous day in Middletown.”
Also, Brandon Hawkins, who painted a mural on the outside of the center, was presented with a key to the city during Tuesday’s festivities.
Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2842 or rmccrabb@coxohio.com.
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