FORT WALTON BEACH Local restaurateur and civic leader Tom Rice was recently awarded the President s Volunteer Service Award for his wide-ranging work in the community.
The award came with a signed citation from then-President Donald Trump reading, On behalf of a grateful Nation, I thank you for your service to your fellow Americans and those most in need. Over the past year, you have served as a model of the American spirit. Thank you for your enduring commitments to serving your community and our Nation.
Rice was unaware he had been nominated for the award until it was delivered to him recently by David Rose, a Florida Veterans Hall of Fame board member. Rose brought the award to the Magnolia Grill, the longtime Fort Walton Beach restaurant owned and operated by Rice.