Note from Michele Gee of the Parks Conservancy… Also note that previous award winner, Barbara Wenger of Community Grows is a Stewardship Council grantee.

All,
Please distribute the following call for nominations to your friends, colleagues, and community partner organizations – anyone who might be interested in nominating a hero. Or maybe you personally know of a deserving individual in your home community who has touched your life and the lives of others- think about friends, neighbors, colleagues, community partners, and staff at your child’s school or after school program. Many of our dedicated park interns and volunteers qualify for the special Ryan Jones Park Hero Award to be recognized alongside the other Community Heroes Awards at the ceremony in May.
Thanks in advance for your help in giving credit where it is often long overdue! Nominate your hero by February 28th. All inquiries and responses should be sent to Kelli English at (415) 561-2813 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Thanks!
Michele
Crissy Field Center Calls for Nominations for the 2010 Community Heroes Award
In the spirit of Goodall’s quote, “Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference,” Crissy Field Center continues to honor the achievements of everyday people who do extraordinary things by calling for open nominations for its most prestigious award—the 2010 Community Heroes Award. Since its inception in 2001, the Community Heroes Awards program has honored 32 recipients in the Bay Area. The award honors the accomplishments, challenges, and successes of community members who work tirelessly to preserve, protect, and raise awareness about the urban environment of the San Francisco Bay Area. Our Bay Area heroes are from all walks of life, diverse backgrounds, and age groups—connected with the common desire to serve their communities.
Perhaps you’ve seen your local “heroes” in action? Many call themselves volunteers. Some are educators and grassroots activists. Others have built careers working in the environmental movement. They come from all over the Bay Area, from different backgrounds, races and age groups. But they all share a common interest—to protect, restore, and raise awareness for the environmental issues relevant in their communities.
Each spring, the Crissy Field Center hosts a ceremony to recognize the valuable contributions of the selected Community Heroes and features a fantastic digital video compilation demonstrating the positive environmental change that the heroes have made in their communities.
In addition to the Community Heroes Award, the Ryan Jones Park Hero Award will be designated in memory of a very special young man.  Ryan Jones was the Volunteer and Education Coordinator for the Site Stewardship Program at the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.  He inspired numerous students as well as his colleagues with his dedication to the parks, love of the outdoors and natural resources, leadership of young people and volunteers, and his amazing gift to explore, capture and exude the beauty of life.  The Ryan Jones Park Hero Award will be awarded each year to someone who has made significant contributions to the preservation and enjoyment of the Golden Gate National Parks.
Some previous Community Heroes include:
• Youth United for Community Action (YUCA), a grassroots organization created, led, and run by young people in East Palo Alto. After a 20-year battle, YUCA successfully shut down operations of Romic Environmental Technologies—a recycler of toxic chemical waste—which had been operating without a permit and jeopardizing the health of the neighborhood residents.
• Founder Barbara Wenger and members of the Hayes Valley Neighborhood Parks Group transformed a dilapidated Koshland Park that was frequented by drug-dealers and prostitutes to a lush tree-lined oasis—with outdoor education programs—for the entire neighborhood.
• Robert Pinkard, owner of Surfside Liquors located in the Hunters Point neighborhood of San Francisco, was the first store owner in his neighborhood to stock fresh produce in an effort to help residents access healthy and nutritious food.
Anyone can nominate a group or individual by simply filling out the Community Heroes Award Nomination Form at http://www.crissyfield.org/heroes (or see attached).  To have a nomination form mailed out to you, please call Kelli English, NPS Community Outreach Specialist at (415) 561-2813. Deadline for nominations is February 28, 2010 and the 10th Annual Community Heroes will be recognized in an Awards Ceremony during a special dinner reception on the evening of Thursday May 20, 2010.
For more information about the Community Heroes award, please visit http://www.crissyfield.org/heroes

CRISSY FIELD CENTER | tel: (415) 561-7690 | fax: (415) 561-7695 | A partnership of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and the National Park Service |
Crissy Field Center is temporarily relocating due to the Presidio Parkway project! Effective December 16, 2009 our new address will be:

1199 East Beach, Presidio
San Francisco, CA 94129
Crissy Field Center programs encourage new generations to become bold leaders for thriving parks, healthy communities, and a more environmentally just society. www.crissyfield.org
Community_Heroes_Nomination_Form_FINAL.doc