Know a Difference Maker? Nominate them for award

How many times have you witnessed an act of kindness and said that person should be recognized for the work they do?

It probably happens more than we realize, though the many volunteers who help make Butler County and the surrounding area a wonderful place to live and raise a family could care less about such recognition.

The Daily American Republic cares, and we’ve made it our goal to shed a spotlight on those volunteers in our area.

Our Difference Makers campaign starts today, and will conclude Aug. 22 with a celebration at the Holiday Inn banquet room.

We are asking our readers to nominate people who make a difference in the lives of others. They are the type of people who never give it a second thought to help. It’s second nature to them. They volunteer routinely and never expect anything in return. A handshake or smile is more than enough.

It could be someone who has taken it upon themselves to organize an Angel Tree at Christmas time so children and families have a happy holiday season.

Or it could be someone who is always there when tragedy strikes a family following a fire, flood or death of a loved one. They provide clothing, food and other necessities to help families get through tough times.

Or maybe it’s the person who works behind the scenes to raise money for a certain cause. A disease may have affected them or a loved one, and they’re working tirelessly to help others overcome their health issues.

Starting today in the newspaper and online (darnews.com) you will find forms so you can nominate someone as a Difference Maker. In early-to-mid-July a panel of judges will narrow the list of candidates to 10, and those 10, along with their nominators and families, will be invited to a banquet in their honor Aug. 22 starting at 6 p.m. at the Holiday Inn in Poplar Bluff.

The 10 finalists will be introduced in a special section the DAR will produce a week or so before the banquet. And the night of the event, a Difference Maker of the Year will be announced.

All finalists will receive a thank you package, and the Difference Maker of the Year will receive a gift package as well.

The DAR has decided to help a worthy cause with this project. The newspaper will donate a portion of its advertising revenue from this campaign to the United Gospel Rescue Mission. The amount will be announced at the banquet.

We appreciate the work Pastor Greg Kirk and his organization does for the community, and this is our way of giving back.

The DAR has several co-sponsors for this program. They have received generous advertising packages for their sponsorship, and it’s our goal to help their business grow through this advertising.

Currently our co-sponsors include Smith & Co., Bank of Missouri, Southern Bank, Sterling Bank, First Midwest Bank, Ellis Battery, Poplar Bluff Schools, Pack’s Do-It Center, Quality Air, Holiday Inn, Godfather’s Pizza, The Donut House, and Barker’s Towing. Additional sponsors are considering joining the campaign.

When visiting these businesses please tell them thank you for all they do for the community and being a part of the Difference Makers program.

When nominating someone as a Difference Maker, please be as detailed as possible with everything they do. Judges will select the 10 finalists from the information provided on the nomination forms.

The celebration on Aug. 22 will also include a keynote speaker. It will be someone who understands the importance of volunteerism and what it would mean if we didn’t have people working behind the scenes daily.

Thank you for reading the DAR.

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Chris is publisher of the Daily American Republic and can be reached by email at cpruett@darnews.com .