At the end of the Rotary Club of Stone Mountain’s fundraising event, President Cesar announced that there were two other awards to present. These surprise awards were Presidential Volunteer Service Awards and were presented to Past Presidents Cynthia Dorsey Edwards (2013-2014 and 2020-2021) and Irvine Weekes (2021-2022). The President's Volunteer Service Award is a civil award bestowed by the President of the United States. Established by executive order by George W. Bush, the award was established to honor volunteers that give hundreds of hours per year helping others through the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation.
Through his personal efforts and with a commitment to secrecy from President David Cesar, Dr. Thomas L. Smith established the Rotary Club of Stone Mountain as an official certifying organization to award the Presidential Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) to volunteers. Certifying Organizations verify and certify that a volunteer has met the requirements to receive a PVSA within a 12-month period specified by the Certifying Organization. To receive an award, a volunteer must complete eligible service within a 12-month period. Designated hours of service qualify volunteers for annual Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards and, over a lifetime, for Lifetime Achievement Awards. Rotarians Edwards and Weekes were presented Gold Awards earned by volunteering more than 500 hours of unpaid acts of volunteer service benefitting others within a designated period of 12 months.