Debbie Thomas-Brown
Jeremy Smith
Jeremy Smith, a staff sergeant in the U.S. Air Force, is a dedicated volunteers who does everything he can to help his community. Whether it be picking up trash for adopt a highway, trying to get dogs adopted from a local humane society, coaching youth soccer or helping the less fortunate by preparing and handing out meals at soup kitchens, he is always willing to help out.
Christopher Heisler
Shortly after Sept. 11, 2001, a flag was gifted to Chris Heisler by the Texas House of Representatives. Like many Americans, he felt compelled to take action during a horrific time for the United States. With this flag in tow, he set out for Ground Zero. Along the way, Chris helped organize one of the longest police motorcades in the history of the United States, bound for Ground Zero and bringing many tokens of support together with other agencies, to our nation's heroes. Since September 2001, the United States Honor Flag has paid tribute to those who have lost their lives in the line of duty protecting our lives, our homes and our country, and also those who currently serve our communities and our nation.
Christopher LaRussa
Through perseverance and tenacity, Christopher LaRussa, 11, helped create an anti-bullying program for the state of New York and update the state’s cyber-bullying law to punish bullies with jail time for their actions.
Nanci Boutet
Meet Nanci Boutet, a Daily Point of Light Award winner. Read her story and nominate someone you know as a Daily Point of Light.
Nanci Boutet has such a passion for surfing, she named her Kennebunk, Maine, surf shop Aquaholics. And she’s sharing her love for the sport with special needs children who feel great joy in the water.
In 2005, a local special needs advocate named Maureen Dow brought three children with Asperger’s syndrome to Boutet for surf lessons. After seeing how much the kids enjoyed the being in the water, Boutet created Special Surfers Nights that summer. “We don’t limit who can participate – kids with autism, Down syndrome, anybody can come,” Boutet says.
The events are held every third Tuesday of June, July and August. After the children get into their wetsuits and on their surfboards (which Boutet provides), the parents get to sit back, watch the festivities and socialize. Each child is assigned two dedicated volunteers, one to teach surfing techniques and one to spot. The children learn about timing and balance. Most importantly, they are encouraged to have fun.
While the first year’s event had three kids, each of the three nights in 2012 attracted 90 kids (the registration limit) and roughly 300 volunteers – 270 children and nearly 1,000 volunteers total.
with Nanci Boutet’s husband, Marc.
Boutet sees expanding the program to other parts of the country. In the meantime, she is looking to raise funds to provide more equipment and extend the event to the summer weekends.
People who want to become a part of Special Surfer Nights can sign up as volunteers on www.aquaholicsurf.com about a month in advance. People who want to find out about other ways to get involved or to donate can check out the Special Surfers Aquaholics Facebook page.
Boutet says no disability should prevent a child from indulging in the opportunity to surf. Over the years she has seen the joy kids clearly feel – the laughing, the smiling – as soon as they get in the water. “I really look forward to the event all year,” she says.
6th Engineer Battalion
The 6th Engineer Battalion has one of the most demanding jobs in the Army. On top of the normal missions required by the Battalion, the 6th Engineer Battalion is the main sourse of support for the state of Alaska in regards to winter safety. The Battalion builds ice bridges in every city in the state, allowing citizens to drive safely on and off of the ice roads. The Battalion also provides arctic airborne operations into remote areas for emergency support. Outside of Alaska, the 6th Engineer Battalion executes at least three humanitarian missions a year. The Battalion provides everything from construction, welding, machining, carpentry, masonary and all other areas of engineer work. The 6th Engineer Battalion is a global leader in humanitarian work efforts.
Community Tampa Bay
Community Tampa Bay is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting dialogue and respect among all cultures, religions and races, through education, advocacy and conflict mediation. The organization envisions a community free from discrimination, in which every individual is treated with dignity and respect. A mission-driven and volunteer-driven organization, it has more than 200 talented individuals representing constituencies of various racial, ethnic, cultural, socioeconomic, religious and age groups who volunteer their time, talent and expertise to Community Tampa Bay. Volunteers dedicate more than 9,000 hours of their time every year to improve the community one person at a time.
Community Tampa Bay values diversity, inclusion and engagement. Through dialogue, cross-cultural interaction and understanding of social identity, the organization strives for thought and actions that reduce the impact of prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination in its communities. Community Tampa Bay’s programming – focused on promoting dialogue, cultivating leaders and changing communities – impacted more than 2,500 individuals last year alone.
The award-winning program ANYTOWN™, celebrating its 20th year anniversary, is a youth leadership and diversity awareness program that empowers diverse groups of young people to create more inclusive and just schools and communities where all individuals are treated with respect and understanding. It equips students with the knowledge, skills and opportunities to become role models, leaders and advocates for inclusion in their schools, neighborhoods and communities. It helps them become bridge-builders between different communities and address all the issues that steal a portion of what makes Tampa Bay such an outstanding place to live and work. To date, there have been more than 4,500 graduates from the program.
Yushawn Johnson
Yushawn Johnson sets a sterling example for youth in his community. As a volunteer with his Boys and Girls Club, he has given more than 600 hours helping other kids with homework, leading events and mentoring those facing tough situations.
Garron Haun
Garron Haun collects computers, but not to play video games or write software. His Linux4Hope program takes in donated computers, repairs and updates them, and donates them to needy families in his community. Garron delivers the computer and then teaches the family how to use it, providing a valuable tool for school or work. Additionally, the program helps keep computers out of landfills.