Prattville High’s Will McKay earns Character Coalition award at luncheon

Prattville High School baseball player Will McKay was honored Wednesday as the Prattville-Autauga Character Coalition and the Prattville Area Chamber of Commerce put character, not just performance, at the center of a luncheon at the Prattville Marriott Hotel and Conference Center. The April Chamber Luncheon and Character Luminary Awards ran from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., was sponsored by Arrow Pest Control, and drew 48 registered guests.

McKay received the Student of Character Award, also identified as the Prattville-Autauga Character Luminary Award, for integrity and commitment to positive values. The recognition turned the spotlight on what local coaches and schools are trying to build in student leaders: not only athletes who compete well, but young people whose daily choices reflect discipline, respect and consistency when no one is watching. April’s featured trait was positivity, a fitting theme for an award built around conduct as much as accomplishment.

Prattville-Autauga Character Coalition president Stacey Little said character is a necessary part of success and pointed to the small decisions people make each day as the clearest sign of integrity. That message framed the luncheon as more than a seasonal awards program. It was a public reminder that in Prattville, character education is being treated as a shared community responsibility, not an afterthought.

The same program also honored Kay Yarnell of Daniel Pratt Elementary School with the Nelda Sorrells Educator of Character Award. Kenneth and Amy Stewart and their family received the Family of Character Award, and the Montgomery Cancer Center Prattville campus was recognized with the Organization of Character Award. Together, the honorees showed how the coalition’s awards reach beyond one classroom, one team or one workplace.

The Prattville-Autauga Character Coalition says its mission is to promote good character qualities to help create a stronger, safer and more unified community. Along with monthly character stories, the coalition offers Excellence in Character scholarships and character education grants, extending the luncheon’s message into the everyday work of schools, families and civic leaders across Autauga County.