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Philadelphia can be proud of people who make a difference.
The Inquirer Editorial Board will announce its sixth recipient of its annual Citizen of the Year award tomorrow. But today we want to recognize some of the other worthy contenders nominated by our readers.
It is heartening to know that so many in the greater Philadelphia community are selflessly looking out for their neighbors, helping them to be fed, to become educated, to live healthy lives. And these good citizens come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and ages.
Take 13-year-old Neha Gupta, who was nominated for establishing a charity called Empower Orphans, which raises money to help parentless children in India. She started the nonprofit when she was 9. It has raised more than $27,000, which has been used for a number of worthwhile projects, including starting a library at an orphanage.
Several nominations for Peggy Amsterdam, president of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, came in before she died a week ago of cancer. She was cited for being the "catalyst and driving force" of a coalition of political, business, philanthropic, and arts groups that defeated a potentially devastating arts tax proposed by the legislature. In an editorial Tuesday, we said a fitting tribute to Amsterdam would be a dedicated source of public funding for the arts in Pennsylvania.
One of the strongest nominations was made by colleagues of Drexel University professor Patricia Gerrity, a nurse who in 1996 started the 11th Street Corridor Health Center in North Philadelphia. The 11th Street facility has been cited by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as one of its 24 national models for health-care delivery.
"When Patty first made contact with the Tenants Councils of Public Housing to suggest a partnership with them to improve the health of the community, they were skeptical at best," said Roberta Waite. But Gerrity's "vision of having a nurse-run health center in an underserved population took hold, has grown roots, and is flourishing," said Mary Gallagher Gordon.
A number of nominations were also made for Dean Coder, a math teacher at South Philadelphia High School who in several radio and television news interviews criticized the school district's handling of racial problems between Asian and African American students. "His speaking out about racial intolerance is an important lesson from which we all can learn," said Marco Dellaria.
U.S. Rep. Bob Brady was nominated, but it might have been more fitting for a "lifetime achievement" award. Ken Woodring cited Brady for coming to the rescue of the Mummers Parade and the Philadelphia pro cycling race, for supporting dredging the port, helping end the SEPTA strike, and keeping the Dad Vail race in town. "No other citizen comes close in contributions to the Delaware Valley," he said.
Others nominated for their life's work included Jane Golden, who runs the Mural Arts program; Jane Pepper, who after 30 years is retiring as president of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society; Maya van Rossum, the Delaware riverkeeper; Jane Nogaki, a founder of the New Jersey Environmental Federation; Dr. Paul Offit, chief of infectious diseases at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, who coinvented the rotavirus vaccine used to protect millions of children around the world; and Gloria Guard, nominated for her 25 years as head of the People's Emergency Center in Philadelphia.
Eric Epstein was nominated for his 30 years of leadership as head of the Three Mile Island Alert organization, which monitors levels of radioactivity in communities near the nuclear power plant. Epstein also was cited for starting RocktheCapital.org, which became an authoritative source of information on which Pennsylvania legislators took the infamous pay raise.
The nomination of Laurada Byers had special meaning around here. In 2001, she and her children founded the Russell Byers charter school, named for her late husband, a Daily News columnist who was murdered by a robber. The K-6 school serving 400 students from 37 neighborhoods has received several academic accolades.
Lawrence Ragone, who operates a nonprofit eye center in Camden, was nominated again this year. Also nominated from Camden was Roy Jones, codirector of the Camden City African American Commission, who has led efforts to clean up that city's water supply and was an active participant in the Save Petty's Island Coalition.
Bonnie and Peter McCausland were nominated for buying 450-acre Erdenheim Farm and preserving it as a vital part of the Wissahickon Valley environment for northeast Montgomery County and northwest Philadelphia.
Brian D. Mohl was nominated for having helped 29 young men achieve the rank of Eagle Scout during the 25 years that he's been adult leader of Boy Scout Troop 109, sponsored by St. Helena's Roman Catholic Church in Olney.
Marc Stier of Health Care for America Now-Pennsylvania was nominated for his grassroots work to build up public support for national health-care reform. Diane Gottlieb said Stier's staff and volunteers "created an amazing campaign that pulled people together who normally don't work well together."
"Amazing" is a good way to describe all of the Citizen of the Year nominees. With more like them, the future for this city, state, and nation will be bright.