(above) Paul Hayes Sr., Vauxhall resident, was recognized as the 2020 Eulace Peacock Unsung Hero Award recipient.
Paul Hayes Sr. Recieves Eulace Peacock Unsung Hero Award
It is with great pleasure that the Township of Union has announced Paul Hayes Sr., Vauxhall resident, as the 2020 Eulace Peacock Unsung Hero Award recipient. The Eulace Peacock Award recognizes those who humbly, diligently, and passionately seek change and progression within our community without looking for credit or recognition. Unsung Heroes inspire and impact others without regard to race, color, creed, religion, age, gender, disability, or national origin.
“Without a doubt, Mr. Hayes exemplifies the qualities of the Unsung Hero Award” noted Mayor Michele Delisfort, “I’m thrilled that every year we are able to recognize a remarkable person who devotes their time and compassion to help our youth and community.”
Paul Robert Hayes Sr., married to Hattie Mae Prior Hayes for 62 years, is the father of three children, Paul R. Hayes Jr., Tione V. Hayes (deceased), and Shanna D. Hayes. Hayes attended Winston Salem State University from 1954 to 1958, where he majored in Social Studies and Elementary Education. In 1972, he later attended Newark State College in 1972 with a major in English and Winston Salem State University with a degree in Elementary Education followed by a degree in Industrial Counseling- Graduate Courses at Montclair State College in 1974. From 1958 to 1961, Mr. Hayes returned to New Jersey to work with Lewis Spicers Construction Company. In 1961 he became employed by the Essex County Youth House in Newark as a counselor for boys waiting to be scheduled to appear in the Essex County Juvenile Court. From 1962 to 1964, he was employed as a substitute teacher with the Township of Union Board of Education.
Since 2017, the Township of Union has annually awarded an individual with the Eulace Peacock Unsung Hero Award who has made a substantive yet unrecognized contribution to the Township of Union, be it through athletics, public service, mentorship or social activism.
The award will be presented to Hayes at the upcoming Black History Month “Harriet Tubman” Film Screening on Saturday, February 29 at 2:00 p.m. Admission is free, but tickets are required due to limited seating. Tickets are available for pick up at the Administration office at Town Hall, 1976 Morris Ave.
For more details on the Black History Month “Harriet Tubman” Film Screening, visituniontownship.com, call 908-851-5096, or email publicinfo@uniontownship.com.
About Eulace Peacock:
Eulace Peacock was a 1933 graduate of Union High School and a member of the Union High School Athletic Hall of Fame inaugural class. He was one of the world’s leading sprinters and long jumpers in the decade before World War II and is most known for being Jesse Owens’s major rival.
