About These Awards

Our 
Story

When Carlos was a boy he remembers the reading in the Gospel where Jesus is questioned in order to trap Him about which commandment in the law is greatest: Matthew 22:35-40, Mark 12:28-34, and in answer to him in Luke 10:27...

​

... and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He [Jesus] said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. Love God above all else. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

​

God first. Neighbor second. Self, third. 

​

These awards and how we should live our lives are modeled in the spirit of service of Mother Teresa and Mister Rogers, both of whom are giants in the area of service toward one's neighbors. These awards are a recognition of the nominees and awardees who are an embodiment of the following quote:

"When I know, love, and serve my neighbor, I am knowing, loving, and serving God and there is no deeper way to express one's love to God than through service to our neighbor.  Anyone who helps his or her neighbor is a HERO to me!" 

-Carlos Michael Padilla

​

Each year, Carlos Michael Communications Media seeks to recognize community good neighbors across the state of Oklahoma through their annual Bowtie Good Neighbor Hero Awards Dinner & Dance Gala.

​

Six awards are presented across two categories: Teresa-Rogers Good Neighbor, and Carlos Michael Communications Media award.

​

These awards are not about us, but about the neighbors we have been called to love and serve.

Who we are isn’t as important as what we do. Mother Teresa said, “Love cannot remain by itself – it has no meaning. Love has to be put into action and that action is service.” She also said, “The fruit of love is service. The fruit of service is peace. And peace begins with a smile.”

But she did not say that we cannot be recognized for some kindness that we do. She would probably be the first to say, “The act of recognition is based on what you did, not who you are, and all of those small actions combined, give hope to a world that has lost its way because it has no hope.”

It takes one to make a difference in the life of another.

Fred Rogers said, “All of us, at some time or other, need help. Whether we're giving or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world. That's one of the things that connects us as neighbors—in our own way, each one of us is a giver and a receiver.” He also said, “The world needs a sense of worth. And it will achieve that sense of worth, only by its people feeling that they are worthwhile.”

​

The mission of these awards is to connect with each other by letting others know that they are worthwhile because Mister Rogers believed in the truth of his words.

​

And the winner is ...

​

Teresa-Rogers Good Neighbor Award

Information coming soon.

​

Carlos Michael Communications Media Award

Information coming soon.