Image courtesy of Sandlin Founda
The Sandlin Foundation for Kids & Kindness and city of Hoover on Wednesday announced the creation of a new award designed to recognize outstanding citizenship in Hoover.
The city and foundation next year plan to give out the first Hoover Heroes — Sandlin Awards, which are aimed at honoring exceptional people who have made a lasting impact on the Hoover community through leadership, service and volunteerism.
Each year going forward, the city will take nominations from the community, and then a board made up of community leaders will select the honorees, said David Bannister, executive director for The Sandlin Foundation.
The award winners will be recognized at a luncheon, have their names enshrined permanently at Aldridge Gardens and have a charitable impact initiative tied to the recipient’s work, Bannister said.
There are a lot of people who do great things in the city of Hoover but don’t ever get recognized for it, he said.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Dwight and Sandy Sandlin, center, pose for a photo with David Bannister, executive director of the Sandlin Foundation for Kids & Kindness, left, and Hoover Mayor Nick Derzis, right, at a luncheon at Aldridge Gardens in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Signature Homes cofounder Dwight Sandlin speaks at a luncheon to announce the Hoover Heroes — Sandlin Awards at Aldridge Gardens in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
David Bannister, executive director of the Sandlin Foundation for Kids & Kindness, speaks at a luncheon to announce the Hoover Heroes — Sandlin Awards at Aldridge Gardens in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
David Bannister, executive director of the Sandlin Foundation for Kids & Kindness, speaks at a luncheon to announce the Hoover Heroes — Sandlin Awards at Aldridge Gardens in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
David Bannister, executive director of the Sandlin Foundation for Kids & Kindness, speaks at a luncheon to announce the Hoover Heroes — Sandlin Awards at Aldridge Gardens in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Hoover Mayor Nick Derzis speaks at a luncheon to announce the Hoover Heroes — Sandlin Awards at Aldridge Gardens in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Dwight and Sandy Sandlin pose for a photo with community nonprofit partner who are recipients of donations from the Sandlin Foundation for Kids & Kindness at Aldridge Gardens in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.
“They’ve done it because they want to make Hoover better,” Bannister said. “What makes Hoover great is the people. It’s the neighbor who shows up when no one else does. It’s the volunteer who gives their time without asking for recognition. It’s the teacher, the coach, the veteran, the business leader and the parent. The quiet heroes are those that shape our community every single day.”
He likened the Hoover Heroes — Sandlin Awards to the Finley Awards that honor outstanding character, leadership and work ethic among students and faculty in Hoover City Schools. The difference is that the Hoover Heroes — Sandlin Awards will apply to every aspect of life in Hoover, he said.
Bannister gave his remarks at a luncheon at Aldridge Gardens for community leaders and nonprofit organizations selected as beneficiaries of The Sandlin Foundation.
Hoover Mayor Nick Derzis told the crowd Wednesday that Hoover has come a long way from its Mayberry-like days when the city was formed 59 years ago. There have been a lot of heroes along the way who have made it a great city — some who already have passed away and others who remain today, and those people need to be recognized, Derzis said.
In a lot of cases, the difference makers are people whom many people don’t know, he said.
Dwight Sandlin, a founder of Signature Homes who with his wife, Sandy, started The Sandlin Foundation, said that, thanks to the help of community partners who have signed up as donors, their foundation has been able to provide more than $1.5 million to community nonprofits and help more than 5,000 people in less than six months.
“God has blessed us, and all we’re hoping to do is push back and give more to help more people,” Sandlin said.
One of his high school teachers who believed in him encouraged him to go to college, which changed the trajectory of his life, he said. There are a lot of people in Hoover with needs, and he hopes his foundation and nonprofit and community partners can work together to give more people a shot at having a successful life, he said.
“We can help kids who don’t think they have a future,” he said. “Our mission is to make a difference.”
The Hoover Heroes awards are designed to complement that mission by shining a light on those who already have made a difference and holding them up as a model for others to follow.
The Sandlin Foundation will begin taking nominations for the first group of Hoover Heroes in June. To make a nomination or learn more, visit sfkak.org.
