Temple: Awards sing praises of unsung heroes

Published December 3, 2005 at midnight

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One of the reasons I loved being a reporter was that I got to meet so many interesting people.

I hope you feel the same way when you read the Rocky Mountain News: that we introduce you to people who give you a deeper understanding of what's possible in life.

I believe if we do that, we will provide you a good reason to come back to us each day.

We all know that in reporting the news we're going to have to introduce you to the worst that humanity can offer. Bad news can't be ignored. But to be the newspaper we want to be - the newspaper we believe you want - we also have to show you people who are giving light through their lives.

That is why we have Gary Massaro writing his column five times a week, sharing stories of ordinary Coloradans who make a difference. And why we have Dahlia covering the many events raising money to make this a better place.

It is why I so look forward to the columns of Bill Johnson and Tina Griego, both of whom often focus on ordinary people, and the stories of writers such as Jim Sheeler, who wrote "Final Salute" as part of his coverage of the impact of the war at home.

There are more stories of good people in our community than we can share. So we've made it possible for you to share them yourselves through our community news initiative, YourHub.com, a Web site updated daily with your stories and a weekly print section delivered Thursdays to home delivery subscribers of the Rocky and The Denver Post in the metro area.

My hope when we launched this venture in May was that finally you'd be able to honor, thank, praise, salute - recognize - the people you know who light up this world. If you post a story and photo about your personal hero on the Web, others will learn about the person. And if it's printed in one of the YourHub.com sections, you can have a clipping to put up on the bulletin board at your office, community center or church.

Every organization has volunteers who seem to go above and beyond without any thought of reward except for the work itself. Now we're seeing them sharing their appreciation of these people on YourHub.com.

The idea builds on a commitment of the Rocky that stems back decades to previous editors. The Rocky was instrumental in the founding of the Minoru Yasui Community Volunteer Awards, granted monthly to a volunteer in Denver.

More recently we launched the Jefferson Awards in Colorado, a national program to recognize the importance of volunteerism and volunteers by bringing together in Washington, D.C., some of the incredible people from around the country who reflect its better spirit.

We're now looking for our fifth class of Jefferson winners for Colorado, three people who stand out because of their extraordinary contributions.

These are not the paid staff members of civic organizations or the politicians who give so much of their time to try to build a community we can be proud of.

No, these are ordinary people.

The unsung heroes, the people who are living the American dream, not of obtaining more material possessions but of helping others.

These are the people whom you might have thought of writing about for YourHub.com. They're the people you might have honored at your organization for their contribution over the years.

Now you have an opportunity to let the nation know about them.

I can tell you that one of the most moving days for me every year is when our three honorees come into the newsroom to meet each other and receive their award.

Each year on that day I'm reminded how much I loved it as a reporter when I met people I never would have bumped into if I hadn't had my job.

I hope you remember the stories of Lois Bowles, William Hammond and Kerri Kay Snyder; Estela Rosas, Richie Bakove and Bill Johnson; Merle Biggs, Virginia Trader and Dr. Theodore Ning; and Veralyne Fenty, Betty Van Hook and Dr. Samuel Langstaff.

All are previous winners of the Jefferson Award. All are incredible people.

I hope you'll help us recognize others now by sending in your nominations. You can use the entry form on Page 35A today. Or you can e-mail me, and we'll get you all the paperwork you'll need.

A panel of independent judges will select the three finalists, from whom one will be picked to represent Colorado in the nation's capital. Gary Massaro will profile each of them.

I learned long ago that providing recognition is one of the roles of a newspaper. If we leave people out, they feel ignored. If they're included, we create a feeling of community where all are respected.

That's the place I want to live. And these are the people who make it so.

John Temple can be reached at editor@RockyMountainNews.com or by mail at 100 Gene Amole Way, Denver, CO 80204.

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