Wilmington Mayor Dennis Williams has announced the Thomas L. Cottingham Good Samaritan Award.

The award is named after Mr. Cottingham who died while coming to the aid of a mother and her child earlier this year.

The award will be giving away during the 2016 City of Wilmington Awards. You can check out a news article about this below.

A day before Thanksgiving, Wilmington Mayor Dennis Williams announced the Thomas L. Cottingham Good Samaritan Award, and gave thanks to a member of the community who gave his life defending another.

“There is no greater sacrifice than to give up one’s life to save another,” said Mayor Williams. “This young man made the ultimate sacrifice as he came to the aid of a mother and her child–neither of whom he knew. We must continue to recognize Mr. Cottingham for his bravery and his heroism as a Good Samaritan.”

On Monday, September 14, 2015, Cottingham, known as Cannibal to his friends, came to the aid of a complete stranger who was pushing her baby in a stroller while being chased by a man with a knife.

He died during the encounter, stabbed to death by Calvin Hooker III in the area of 10th and North Walnut streets, police said.

A the time, Williams, police officials, and Cottingham’s friends mourned the loss of a man who had “a heart of gold,” in the words of his friend Rebecca Coleman.

Of his actions, police said Cottingham had “unselfishly placed himself in harm’s way, protecting a young woman and her child from imminent danger.”

A memorial went up in Rodney Square honoring Cottingham’s memory.

And now, annually–in addition to a plaque being placed in Rodney Square on November 14, 2015, in Cottingham’s memory–the Good Samaritan award bearing Cottingham’s name will be presented as part of the 2016 City of Wilmington Awards.

The awards are “designed to recognize and honor the outstanding accomplishments of Wilmington citizens and those who serve the City of Wilmington,” a release said.

“The award recipients exemplify excellence in a multitude of areas including the arts, community service, faith, civil rights activism, and now, being a Good Samaritan.”

“The selfless act of courage and humanity performed by Thomas will forever live on and be remembered; to ensure Thomas is not forgotten, in his honor, individuals who perform superior acts of bravery and kindness from this point forward will be recognized and awarded the Thomas L. Cottingham Good Samaritan Award,” the Executive Order reads.