June Simpson was named the 2008 Citizen of the Year at the Kiwanis Club’s Annual Spouse Appreciation Night, held Monday evening at the Kiwanis Building.

Simpson is one of the founders of Meredith’s Miracles, a local charity that helps children and their families who have to travel outside of the area for medical needs. The charity provides money for food, transportation, lodging and any other necessary expenses. It is named for Simpson’s granddaughter, Meredith Elizabeth McGlamory, who died at the age of 5 from Wilms’ tumor, a form of cancer.

“This is really a group effort,” said a teary-eyed Simpson. “Meredith was born for a reason and she died for a reason. We just want to keep her name alive and this is our way of doing it. Without everybody’s help we couldn’t keep this thing going.

“We do appreciate everything the Kiwanis Club does to help us, and just thank you very much — this is a big, big honor.”

Simpson is also a member of the Lurleen B. Wallace Community College Foundation, serves as her church’s music director, is a member of Andalusia Community Theatre (ACT I) and has worked with several projects with the Andalusia Area Chamber of Commerce.

The dinner is held annually to celebrate the hard work done by the Kiwanis Club members and their spouses, particularly through the club’s work with the Covington County Fair.

This year’s guest speaker was Kurt Kilpatrick, a humorist speaker from Birmingham who entertained the crowd with a barrage of jokes and impressions, ranging from Bill Clinton to Billy Graham.