How much do you appreciate the extra work that is done to make Garfield County the special place you know it is?Now is the time to come to the aid of your countrymen and women that come to the aid of your country.Spend some time nominating that person you notice helping out at a food drive or in a soup kitchen. Or a special coach who is always there, being a great role model for all the players. Or a dedicated staff member who goes the extra mile. Or someone who always makes you feel you’re glad to be part of the team or the community.

Nominators get a special pleasure, knowing they personally did something positive for a deserving person. Talk about a warm fuzzy feeling. What better time of the year than right now, even though you’re busy with your holiday plans, to take a little extra time and set a very good deed in motion.For those of you who have been nominated or have won a Humanitarian Award in the past, you can become involved again by nominating someone else. Your nominee will feel doubly glad you recognized his or her efforts and put them in the special league of humanitarians.Take action right now. Why not? Don’t spend another moment regretting nonparticipation. It doesn’t cost anything, and you will be glad you did it for the rest of your life. This “Pay It Forward” effort on your part will send ripple effects of goodness into the future.Nancy Frizell, who nominated last year’s winners Sean and Greg Jeung, said about her nomination efforts, “It feels good to acknowledge and give to people who are usually the caretakers and unsung heroes. It’s good to allow them the opportunity to receive for a change.”When you do start the nomination process, think about all the things your nominee has done, and be specific and detail personal instances of good will. It is essential for the committee to be aware of detailed information about your nominee for serious consideration. Committee members may or may not be familiar with your nominee, so describe them and their humanitarian efforts as best you can.Nominations can include: organizations; affiliations; years of service; outstanding contributions to their community; significant personal effort and passion; variety of service; personal information that is pertinent to the nomination; and any additional information that would be helpful.

Please e-mail completed nominations by 5 p.m. Jan. 4, 2008, to: kvasilakis@postindependent.com. Late entries cannot be considered.Please call me at 384-9118 to confirm that your nomination was received.Reservations for the Humanitarian Service Awards dinner, to be held at 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 28, at the Hotel Colorado, can be made by calling Ronda at 384-2357 anytime from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. only Monday through Friday. Kay Vasilakis’ “Nonprofit Spotlight” column runs every other Wednesday. She is the media coordinator for the Garfield County Human Services Commission. To contact her, call 384-9118 or e-mail kvasilakis@ postindependent.com.