Dr. Isaiah (Ike) Washington and Dr. Justine Washington became the first recipients of The Augusta Award, presented December 7 during the Augusta Metro and Columbia County Chambers of Commerce Joint Annual Meeting, held at the Radisson Riverfront Hotel.
The Augusta Award, sponsored by the Augusta Metro Chamber and the CSRA Community Foundation, is a newly created honor designed to recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to progress and unity in the Augusta area. Congressman Doug Barnard, Jr. presented Dr. Justine Washington with an engraved silver tray honoring her and the late Dr. Ike Washington for a lifetime of exceptional professional and personal service, altruism and leadership that often crossed economic and racial barriers to benefit the total community.  

"The Washingtons have made a tremendous contribution to our community through their educational and civic involvement. The Chamber and Community Foundation wanted to recognize Ike and Justine as positive role models that other citizens would want to emulate," said Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, James F. West, Jr.
R. Lee Smith, Jr., President and CEO of the CSRA Community Foundation, Inc., which endowed the award, said,"I think the Washingtons are most deserving to be recognized by this award. I personally knew and respected Dr. Ike as an educator and a community leader. It is a great honor for me to act on behalf of the Board of Directors of the CSRA Community Foundation to provide their charity of choice with a gift of $5,000 on behalf of the Washingtons."