Stephen J Wampler

Stephen Wampler is determined to show kids with disabilities all over the world that they can achieve anything they want. He’s so committed that he became the first man in the world with cerebral palsy to climb El Capitan, the largest rock face in the world. Due to his disease, Stephen cannot walk and can only use his right arm, so achieved his goal by essentially doing 20,000 pull-ups and sleeping on the mountain for five nights.

He’s also committed enough to give up a career as an environmental engineer to raise money to send 250 kids with physical disabilities to summer camp each year at no cost to their familes. The campers have the opportunity to snorkel and SCUBA dive, cycle and kayak – the same outdoor experiences any kid would love.

Sejal Vallabh

Through TennisSERVES, Sejal Vallabh has brought a mainstream sport to an underserved community. Sejal uses adaptive technology to teach the sport. The foam tennis ball contains metal filaments that rattle upon impact or when hit. Thus, the students can "hear" where the ball is. At the same time, lines of string are taped on the gym floor so the visually impaired athletes can "feel" the court with their feet. The hardest part of learning the sport is timing. By the time the athlete gets to the ball, often times it is too late. That's why Sejal is working on a new ball that emits a constant sound so that the athlete can hear the ball well in advance and prepare for it much, much earlier.

Sejal discovered TennisSERVES while visiting Tokyo as a high school freshman. An avid player herself, she decided to bring the program home and now partners with schools for the blind and recruits nearby high school students to come and teach. Tennis experience is NOT necessary and Sejal trains all the volunteers via Skype and email to teach the sport. The organization now has chapters in Massachusetts, New York and California, with plans to expand its reach to other states, including Kentucky and Alabama.

Bonnie Spence

Public service announcements (PSAs) are a promising solution to one of the primary obstacles facing nonprofits: media access. With social media platforms readily available, it’s not just about getting heard anymore, but rather about a well-crafted message and a clear call to action. PSAs are still the best way for nonprofits to reach an audience.

Under Bonnie Spence’s leadership, more than 65 PSAs have been produced and distributed that help charities seeks support or t publicize their services to the community. Artistically crafted, these 30-second messages have offered hope, broadened perceptions and saved lives for thousands of individuals and families throughout southern California and beyond.

In addition, Bonnie’s leadership has helped women in the entertainment industry use their skills to contribute to the community, and find a meaningful way to acquire and exercise their talents. Her leadership has allowed the PSA Program to continue its public service efforts where the need is the greatest: under-funded charities that cannot afford to advertise their services.

Ashley Pittman

Ashley Pittman is a senior nursing major at Georgia College and State University who actively works to help a variety of people in her community. Through her passion, hard work and determination, she initiated the Wishmakers Program on Georgia College’s campus three years ago, and singlehandedly raised more than $2,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation for Georgia and Alabama so that a child with a life-threatening medical condition could receive a wish. Ashley coordinated with Wishmakers to sell jewelry on her school campus and in her hometown of Thomaston, Ga., where she networked with her church and community’s small businesses to help in this effort.

Jen Rubino

When young people are hospitalized or facing a serious illness, they often feel forgotten and sad. Having experienced these struggles firsthand, Jen Rubino created Cards for Hospitalized Kids (CFHK) to help other young people facing these health challenges. Though her organization began as something only in her community, Jen has turned CFHK into a nationwide effort.

Jen, who is unable to walk due to a childhood illness, manages all aspects of CFHK – from organizing card-making events to connecting with hospitals and families. Through her efforts and those her volunteers, more than 10,000 hospitalized kids and counting have received cards that brought them smiles and joy during a time they needed it the most.

Relay For Life of Mills County Committee

Christopher Mora

For more than four years, Commander Christopher Mora has donated hundreds of hours of pro bono legal service to the citizens of the Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana. He has guided the tribe through modernization of its laws while preserving tribal culture and helped save the tribe a significant amount of money.

Stepping Stone Support

Stepping Stone Support, an organization run entirely by volunteers, uses its Survivor’s Little Helper program to provide those in cancer treatment, cancer survivors and their families with holiday gifts and winter necessities. The Helper program reduces stress and gives patients and their families the opportunity to spend quality time together.

SELMA EREY

Selma Erey is a longtime volunteer and homeowner in the Rockaway Peninsula in New York City. In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy devastated the Rockaways damaging homes, schools, and businesses, including Selma’s home. .Volunteers helped her clean out her house after Sandy. She became so inspired by the acts of service in her community as a result of Sandy that she decided to start and lead a Saturday “Rockaway Readers” club at the Far Rockaway library branch as a way to help students impacted by the storm build their reading skills so that they did not fall further behind in school.

Dimitri Godur

When Dimitri Godur was 12, he heard his parents talking about the country’s economic challenges and potential cuts to school arts programs. Dimitri couldn’t imagine losing his school’s music program, so he took action.

He started Strings 2 Strum in 2010 to secure string instruments, refurbish them as needed, and donate them to schools and community centers across the country in need of instruments for classroom instruction. To date, he has been able to donate 100 percent of all the money he has collected toward the purchase of instruments.