CUMMING — Forsyth County residents often show their appreciation for current and former military personnel. But on Wednesday night, it was a veterans group that honored several members of the community.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9143 in Cumming presented awards to public safety personnel, teachers, students and a local business during its annual awards banquet.

“This is one of our favorite meetings of the year, when we get to give out our awards. We just truly enjoy doing that,” Post Commander Richard Knight told the gathering at the post on Dahlonega Highway (Hwy. 9).

Cpl. Matt Brown received the law enforcement award. John Kepler, who presented the honor, said Brown showed “unyielding courage to the highest ideal of law enforcement.”

Retired Forsyth County Fire Department Battalion Chief Tommy Coleman was selected for the firemen’s award, but was not able to attend the ceremony.

“If you don’t know who Tommy Coleman is … he started with the Atlanta Fire Department way back in the early ’70s, and spent his career with the Atlanta Fire Department, retired from there and lived here in Forsyth County [where he later worked],” Kepler said.

“He donated some of the property where the fire headquarters is on Settingdown [Road].”

Knight said Coleman also won the award at the state level. In December, he was also selected as Firefighter of the Year by Forsyth County.

Toni Sullivan, an art instructor at Coal Mountain Elementary School, was named the post’s teacher of the year.

“She’s the co-chairperson of a program called Mindset ... that is a program where the children are talked about and they recognize their dreams and they finally realize that whatever they want they can achieve,” said presenter Pete Rodda. “She’s very much into the veterans program.”

Rodda also noted that Sullivan’s son, Joseph, joined the U.S. Navy last year.

Several Forsyth County students were also recognized. They included Nicolas Szabo of South Forsyth High, who won first place in the “Voice of Democracy” speech competition.

Awards were also given for the Patriots Pen writing contest. Shamita Hanumasagar from Piney Grove Middle School accepted her first-place award, while Vannessa Masoka of South Forsyth High was honored for finishing second.

Students involved with Change 4 Georgia were set to be recognized during the event, but Knight said they were not able to attend due to studying for exams.

Keller Williams Reality was also recognized at the event.