Contact:
Kimberli Meadows
202-841-4730 (cell)
KMeadows@pointsoflight.org

THE LORD OF THE RINGS STAR PRESENTS NATIONAL FAMILY VOLUNTEER AWARD ON BEHALF OF POINTS OF LIGHT FOUNDATION

Event part of National Conference on Community Volunteering and National Service

(Washington, DC - June 6, 2004) - Sean Astin, star of hit movies such as "Rudy," "The Goonies," and "The Lord of the Rings," and member of the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation, presented the 2004 National Family Volunteer Award on behalf of the Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network today at the Kansas City Convention Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

"My father inspired me to create value in my life," said Astin. "I salute you for the fact that you use your creativity, time and leadership to serve others." The recipients of the 2004 National Family Volunteer Award include three families and two nonprofit organizations. The recipients were selected based on project or program achievement, innovation, mobilization, ongoing involvement, and ability to meet community needs.

"While spending quality time strengthening their communities, family volunteers strengthen themselves through increased communication, role modeling, and the demonstration of empathy from generation to generation," said Robert K. Goodwin, president and CEO of the Points of Light Foundation.

Family honorees:
The Allen family of Bloomington, Minnesota - parents and sons, Treb (20) and Matt (18), has been heavily involved in Bloomington United for Youth, serving as board members and creators of long-term projects dedicated to creating safe and drug-free havens for high school youth.

The Coffman family of Glen Burnie, Maryland - Amber Coffman (21) with the help of her mother, Bobbi, created Happy Helpers for the Homeless in 1993. Over the past ten years, they have served tens of thousands of Sunday meals to Baltimore area homeless people, and have established chapters across the country and around the world.

The Izzo family of Cross Lanes, West Virginia - includes extended family of many generations as well as children William (10), Jonathan (7), Christopher (3), and Kaylee (1), created Support WV Troops, which is dedicated to providing care packages to US troops serving overseas.

Nonprofit honorees:
The Blind Boone Park Renovation Group, Warrensburg, Missouri, has engaging thousands of volunteers over the past four years in efforts to renovate a once-segregated park for the black community into an historic sensory walkway for the visually impaired.

Children's Cancer Association, Portland, Oregon, engages thousands of volunteers in providing support for children with cancer or other life-threatening illnesses and their families.

Applications for the 2005 National Family Volunteer Award are available at www.pointsoflight.org/awards and will be accepted through March 4, 2005.

National Family Volunteer Day, sponsored by the Points of Light Foundation, encourages and engages families to participate in community-oriented projects annually on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. This year, the event will take place on November 20. For more details visit www.pointsoflight.org then click on Programs.