Department of Finance & Administration
Larry B. Martin, Interim Commissioner

VOLUNTEER TENNESSEE CELEBRATES COMMUNITY HEROES AT FIRST ANNUAL GOVERNOR'S VOLUNTEER STARS AWARDS

NASHVILLE - Volunteer Tennessee will proudly present the First Annual Governor's Volunteer Stars Awards during a reception on Monday, October 27, 2008. The awards honor 65 outstanding adult and youth volunteers from across Tennessee who strive to improve their communities through service.

Honorees were selected on the county level through a nominations process or by their county mayor. Nominees were judged based on the community's need of the volunteer service performed, the initiative taken to perform the service, and the impact of the volunteer service on the community.

"The task of caring for the dis¬advantaged, the sick, the hungry, and our environment would be impossible without the energy and dedication of volunteers," said Governor Phil Bredesen. "I am proud to acknowledge these 65 honorees who have gone above and be¬yond the call of duty and shown a remarkable amount of dedication to their state and their fellow Tennesseans."

The awards will take place from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. CDT in the Tennessee Room of the William R. Snodgrass Tennessee Tower. NewsChannel 5 Anchor Vicki Yates will emcee. Other VIPs in attendance to include: State Senators Douglas Henry, Bill Ketron, Lowe Finney, and Jim Tracy; State Representatives Gary Odom, Chris Crider, Bill Harmon, Gerald McCormick, William "Butch Borchert, Jimmy Eldridge, Tom DuBois, Jimmy Matlock, Joe Pitts, Les Winningham, G.A. Hardaway, Ron Lollar and Karen Camper; and Governor's Cabinet members Viola Miller, Tim Webb, Deborah Story, Jim Fyke, and John Keys.

The awards' Three-Star sponsors include the Holiday Inn Express - Nashville Downtown, the Kiwanis Club of Nashville, the Lions Club of Brentwood and the Nashville Artist Guild.

Volunteer Tennessee is the 25-member bipartisan citizen board appointed by the Governor to oversee AmeriCorps and service-learning programs and to advance volunteerism and citizen service to solve community problems in the Volunteer State.