Awards, May 15, 2003

The following awards have been presented for work in advocacy, fund raising, nonprofit leadership, philanthropy, and other areas.

Disabilities. The American Association of People with Disabilities (Washington) has presented its 2003 Henry B. Betts Award to Dick and Ginny Thornburgh, for their longtime advocacy of the rights of people with disabilities. Mr. Thornburgh, a former governor of Pennsylvania and former U.S. attorney general, helped the Americans with Disabilities Act become law. As director of the religion and disability program of the National Organization on Disability (Washington), Ms. Thornburgh encourages congregations to make religious facilities more easily accessible to people with disabilities. The Thornburghs received a $50,000 cash prize, which they donated to the U. of Pittsburgh to establish a lecture series in disability law and policy.

Health. Community-Campus Partnerships for Health (San Francisco) has presented its 2003 Community-Campus Partnerships for Health Award to the Center for Healthy Communities (Dayton, Ohio). The center brings together officials from local colleges and universities, government agencies, hospitals, and nonprofit groups to improve health-care services and education for health professionals in Dayton.

Volunteerism. Catholic Charities USA (Alexandria, Va.) has named Jackie Bushong-Martin, of Rhinelander, Wis., as its 2003 National Volunteer of the Year. Ms. Bushong-Martin started a program through which elderly volunteers sew school uniforms that are distributed to poor children in Haiti.

The Points of Light Foundation (Washington) and USA Weekend (McLean, Va.) have presented their Make a Difference Day Award to a group of students, parents, and administrators at St. Joseph Catholic School, an elementary school in Palm Bay, Fla. The group organized volunteers to plant flowers and trees as a tribute to Bernard Curtis Brown II, an 11-year-old boy who died in the September 11 terrorist attacks. The award is accompanied by a $10,000 cash prize, donated by Newman’s Own (Westport, Conn.).

Women and girls. Women & Philanthropy (Washington) has presented its 2003 Leadership for Equity and Diversity (LEAD) Award to John Kostishack, executive director of the Otto Bremer Foundation (St. Paul). The award honors an individual from a foundation or corporate-giving program who has developed or supported creative programs that promote equity for women and girls. The award is accompanied by a $10,000 prize from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (Battle Creek, Mich).