42nd Jefferson Awards Celebrate The Impact Of Public Service

WASHINGTON, June 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The nation's highest honor for community service is being awarded to several extraordinary individuals and organizations whose selfless, noble and compassionate work has improved the lives of countless people and amplified our nation's collective commitment to helping one another and contributing to the larger good.

Co-founded in 1972 by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, U.S. Senator Robert Taft, Jr. and Sam Beard, the Jefferson Awards Foundation is the country's longest standing and most prestigious organization dedicated to activating and celebrating public service.

"Each year, we gather in our nation's capital to recognize civic leaders who have exemplified the spirit of public service," said Joseph N. Sanberg, Chairman of the Jefferson Awards Foundation. "By doing so, we honor the millions of other Americans who offer their time, their talents and their resources to the selfless cause of making others' lives better."

The 2014 Jefferson Awards honorees are:

U. S. Senator John Heinz Award for Greatest Public Service by an Elected Official
Hon. Gabrielle Giffords, U.S. House of Representatives (Arizona), Ret.

All-Star Recipient: Outstanding Service in Professional Sports
James Thrash, Former NFL Wide Receiver

Samuel S. Beard Award for Greatest Public Service by an Individual 35 or Under
Jack Andraka, Inventor, Scientist and Cancer Researcher

S. Roger Horchow Award for Greatest Public Service by a Private Citizen
Charles Best, Founder and CEO, DonorsChoose.org                               

Greatest Public Service Benefiting the Disadvantaged
Dr. Pedro Jose Greer Jr., Founder, Camillus Health Concern and Founder, St. John Bosco Clinic

LEAD360
Emma Rider, Quenching Souls

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Award Recipients
Jeremiah Anthony (Nominated by KCRG-TV9 & The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, IA)
Michelle Lacourciere (Nominated by KPIX-TV & KCBS Radio, San Francisco, CA)
Shawn and Amanda Bakker, (Nominated by KSBW-TV, Salinas, CA)
Eric Fuchs-Stengel (Nominated by New Jersey Star-Ledger, NJ)
Stephen Tybor (Nominated by ABC-WTVA, WLOV, & WKDH, Tupelo, MS)

Gold Award – Students In Action
Washington Township High School, Washington, NJ

Champions
Janie Lopez, Highmark
Lisa Bardill Moscaritolo, Pace University

For more information please view the complete media release: https://www.facebook.com/JeffersonAwardsForPublicService

Contact:
Matt Davison,
(716) 604-7772 
[email protected] 

SOURCE Jefferson Awards Foundation