Start thinking about who you consider a superhero

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Nonprofit Spotlight
Kay Vasilakis
Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado
November 14, 2007

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The theme for the 2007 Garfield County Humanitarian Awards Dinner will be "Garfield County Superheroes." It's time to start thinking about who you'd like to nominate for this prestigious event.

Anyone in Garfield County can nominate any Garfield County citizen for the awards, which are designed to honor those special people who make a positive difference in our lives. Nominators do not have to be a member of a human service agency.

Imagine your hero being honored for his or her unselfish work and devotion to a cause. Imagine how encouraged your nominee will feel, knowing that someone has noticed and appreciated his or her efforts. Imagine how proud your nominee's family, friends and co-workers will feel for your special person.

Nomination forms will be published in the Post Independent soon. Until the nomination forms are published, potential nominators may collect specific information about their nominee and write their nomination. The decision committee is looking for nominations with specific information, such as years of service; personal stories of specific helpfulness; specific community need this person addresses; and significant community impact.

The more specific and complete your nomination, the more seriously it can be considered.

The major categories include youth, senior, volunteer and staff. The committee does have flexibility to create special awards depending upon the nominations.

The Garfield County Humanitarian Awards Dinner will be held Monday, Jan. 28, at the Hotel Colorado. Nominees are the guests of the event and do not pay for their meals. Everyone else, including family members and nominators, is required to pay for their meals.

This is not a fundraiser for the Human Services Commission. All proceeds are applied to the cost of the event.

This year, Williams Production Co. has agreed to be an additional sponsor of the event, along with the Post Independent, Garfield County and the Aspen Valley Community Foundation.

The event is a wonderful evening of good will and devotion to community. Plan to attend Jan. 28, and you'll walk away feeling grateful you call Garfield County your home.

If you have any questions, call or e-mail me at the numbers below.


Human Service Commission information sharing time
The Garfield County Human Service Commission presents an information sharing time from 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Nov. 28, at the Glenwood Springs Community Center. The purpose of this event is to strengthen collaborative efforts for health and human service organizations, schools, law enforcement, clergy, private practitioners, government officials, and those interested in employment in human services.

Bring as many people from your organization as you like, and join this networking opportunity to update your information of the human service organizations which provide services in Garfield County; meet new people and network with colleagues; share information about your organization; and leave with information and brochures to create your own referral notebook.

Registration is from 9:30-10 a.m. Nov. 28. A welcome and introductions of all attendees will be held from 10 a.m. to noon, including two-minute presentations by previously identified organizations.

Refreshments will be served, compliments of Grand River Hospital District.

Everyone is welcome to bring information about your organization. Please provide 100 three-hole-punched copies of your information to prepare it as an easy insert for a notebook. Information pieces will be put together in packets and made available to attendees on departure.

Preregistration is appreciated at humanservices@sopris.net. Contact Debbie Wilde with questions at dwilde@youthzone.com or 945-9300; or Heidi Pankow at hpankow@chipetags.org.



Kay Vasilakis is the Garfield County Human Services media coordinator. The "Nonprofit Spotlight" column appears every other Wednesday. To contact her, call 384-9118 or e-mail kvasilakis@postindependent.com.