America's Top Three Hometown Heroes Named in National Search for Everyday Heroes; Heroes to be Honored at First-Ever Volvo for Life Awards Ceremony April 16 in Times Square
NEW YORK--April 9, 2003--An advocate for domestic abuse survivors, a supporter of Hmong refugee women seeking jobs, and a champion for Native Americans seeking adequate housing have been selected as the nation's three top hometown heroes in the first-ever Volvo for Life Awards.
In its inaugural year, the Volvo for Life Awards is the largest-ever national search for and celebration of everyday heroes, with Volvo Cars of North America providing more than $1 million in awards and contributions.
The winners will be honored Wed., April 16, 2003 in New York City at the 2003 Volvo for Life Awards Ceremony. They are:
| -- | Pamela Stack, 48, Miami, Fla., a domestic abuse survivor who is Miami's leading advocate against family violence. |
| -- | Bao Xiong, 37, Wausau, Wis., a mother of six who volunteers her time to provide job placement and skills assistance to Hmong refugee women in Wausau. |
| -- | Robert Young, 41, Bellevue, Wash., who has dedicated his life to helping impoverished Native Americans build adequate housing out of straw bales. |
(Detailed bios at the conclusion of the news release.)
Held in Times Square Studios, Ltd., the event will be hosted by Jim Belushi, feature music performances by The Wallflowers, Los Lobos and Heather Headley, and include awards presentations by program judges Hank Aaron, Bill Bradley, Dr. Jane Goodall, Maya Lin, Dr. Sally Ride and Eunice Kennedy Shriver.
Launched December 2002, the Volvo for Life Awards called for individuals nationwide to nominate a hometown hero they know at www.volvoforlifeawards.com. In three months, Volvo received 2,036 nominations representing all 50 states.
In March, the distinguished panel of judges -- Aaron, Bradley, Goodall, Lin, Ride, Shriver, Caroline Kennedy and Paul Newman -- selected the winners.
At the ceremony, Volvo and the judges will present the three winning heroes, and Volvo will make a $50,000 donation to the charity of each winner's choice. In addition, they will announce the program's top winner, who will receive a Volvo car for the rest of his or her life.
"Our distinguished judges have selected three powerful individuals as winners. Their heroic accomplishments should serve as an inspiration to everyone," said Vic Doolan, president and chief executive officer for Volvo Cars of North America. "Countless immigrants in need, abuse survivors seeking support and Native Americans have all been tremendously impacted by Pamela, Bao and Robert's efforts. It's an honor for us to honor them for the conscience, care and character that so clearly makes them heroes."
The 2003 Volvo for Life Awards will be held Wed., April 16, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Times Square Studios, Ltd., 44th and Broadway, New York. For more information on the Volvo for Life Awards and to view stories of hundreds of this year's nominees, including the three winners, visit www.volvoforlifeawards.com.
2003 Volvo for Life Awards Winners
-- Pamela Stack, 46, Miami, Fla. A domestic-abuse survivor, Stack
was stabbed multiple times, beaten and strangled by her
estranged husband on Christmas Day 1990. Over the past 13
years, Stack has become Miami's leading advocate against
family violence, volunteering to help hundreds of women and
children leave abusive relationships or deal with the
aftermath of abuse by taking them into her own home or helping
them relocate to different states or countries. She co-founded
the "Save-A-Life Campaign," which includes a cell-phone
donation program that arms people in abusive relationships,
the elderly and disabled people with phones that automatically
dial 911, and a student-education program on teen violence and
date rape. Stack is the author and presenter of 10 training
programs including, "Don't Die For Love, From Victim to
Victory" and "Domestic Violence in the Workplace."
-- Bao Xiong, 37, Wausau, Wis. Years ago, as a refugee from Laos
with no formal education, Xiong discovered that many Hmong
women in Wausau's 4,000-member Hmong community wanted to help
support their families by working outside their homes.
However, their limited English-speaking skills and the
unspoken rules of patriarchal Hmong relationships kept them
from working. Xiong quickly learned English so she could be a
translator for Hmong women seeking jobs, and got a childcare
license so she could care for children of Hmong women who were
working or taking English classes. Today, Xiong, a mother of
six, is the unofficial social worker for Hmong women in
Wausau, helping more than 30 Hmong women obtain and retain
jobs, mentoring Hmong women starting daycare businesses,
caring for Hmong children, and bridging the cultural gap
between Hmong and American residents in countless other ways.
-- Robert Young, 41, Bellevue, Wash. Young is the executive
director of Red Feather Development Group, which is dedicated
to helping hundreds of thousands of Native Americans
experiencing a housing crisis. Of the millions of Native
Americans living on reservations, more than 300,000 are
homeless. Many more live together -- in groups of up to 20
people in some cases -- in dilapidated shacks and uninsulated
trailers. And, every winter, native elders freeze to death in
their homes. Young and his volunteers teach reservation
residents how to build homes out of a sustainable, abundant
resource: straw bales. Young has partnered with the University
of Washington and Penn State University to design a model that
is three times more energy efficient than a typical home. With
Young's help, some families save enough in monthly heating
costs alone to pay the majority of a home mortgage. More
importantly, they are finding a lasting solution to a problem
that has plagued their community for decades.
Contact: Media must RSVP to attend the 2003 Volvo for Life Awards
Eric Davis, Haberman & Associates, 612-338-3900,
eric@modernstorytellers.com.
Soren Johansson, Volvo Cars of North America, 949-341-6719,
sjohan44@volvocars.com.
Photo: For photos and more information on the Volvo for Life Awards: www.volvocars-pr.com.