"Michigan is a better place because of our volunteers," Granholm said. "These individuals give of themselves to help make life better for our children, our families, our neighbors, and our friends.  It is an honor to recognize theses individuals for their commitment to making a difference in the lives of others."

LaKisha Jones, an American Idol season-six standout and Flint native, joined the Governor in honoring the delighted award winners and all of the award finalists.  Also performing for the crowd were Izabela Jaworska and Robert Kubis from Come Dancing School of Ballroom Dancing, Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit, and Raisin Pickers.

"Volunteers are the heart and soul of our communities," said Jones who flew in from her home in Houston for the celebration of volunteers.  "They give and give and give of their time and talent without expecting anything in return.   Michigan is fortunate to have so many dedicated volunteers and I am blessed to have the opportunity to honor and thank them for their commitment."

The Governor's Service Awards were made possible only through the generous contributions of corporate sponsors.  The Platinum Sponsor is Ford Motor Company Fund and W.K. Kellogg Foundation is the Premier Sponsor.  The Pacesetters are: Acheson Ventures, Blue Cross Blue Shield/Accident Fund, The Chrysler Foundation, Comcast, Delta Dental, DTE Energy, and MASCO Corporation Foundation.  The Governor's Champions are: CMS Energy, Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Michigan, Council of Michigan Foundations, Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation, Kellogg Company, Lear Corporation, Meijer, Michigan Nonprofit Association, Multicom Media, Oakwood Healthcare System, Olivet College, Olympia Entertainment, and State Farm Insurance.  The Governor's Heroes are: Comer Holdings, Comerica, Fifth Third Bank, Health Alliance Plan, Hudson-Webber Foundation, Mawby Family Fund, and Pace & Partners.

In addition to the awards, Olivet College, a private liberal arts institution in south central Michigan, presented all five finalists for the Youth Volunteer of the Year with a Community Responsibility Scholarship valued at $6,000 per year renewable for four years.  This unique scholarship program is designed to reward students for responsibility, community service, civic engagement, and volunteerism.

At a private reception prior to the awards presentation, special tributes from the Governor were presented to all 40 award finalists.

The Governor's Service Awards winners were selected from the finalists in each of the eight award categories.  Friends, relatives, and colleagues submitted nearly 180 nominations to pay tribute to individuals and organizations who exemplify the spirit of volunteer service.  An objective peer review panel and the board of the Michigan Community Service Commission, the organization that manages the event, selected the finalists and winners.

The Governor's Service Awards are given annually to individuals, businesses, and organizations to acknowledge their commitment to solving community issues through volunteerism. Eight awards were presented in the following categories:

The Governor George Romney Lifetime Achievement Award for Volunteerism, which is the most prestigious of the Governor's Service Awards, was presented to Lois Herbage of Saginaw.  The award honors an individual who has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to community involvement and volunteer service.  Lois became active in the Zonta Club of Saginaw in 1947 and still devotes most of her volunteer time to Zonta, advancing the status of women within their communities and worldwide.  She has been an active member of League of Women Voters for 48 years, helped organize the Saginaw Women's Council, volunteered at the St. Francis Home for 24 years, and is an active member of St. John Lutheran Church in Saginaw.  At 90 years old she also works to help others in need in her community by working with the VITA program of Saginaw to assist low-income persons complete their income tax forms, and is involved with community projects through United Way of Saginaw County.

The Corporate Community Leader award was presented to the Great Lakes Capital Fund based in Lansing .   This award honors businesses that demonstrate excellent corporate citizenship by giving back to their community through corporate volunteer programs, monetary contributions, in-kind gifts, and employee-driven volunteer service.  The Great Lakes Capital Fund (GLCF) encourages its employees to give back to their communities across Michigan and beyond.  When GLCF was developed in 1993, one of the focuses was to support the growth of quality affordable housing and other economic and social opportunities for the poor.  GLCF is involved with the Art of Leadership ( ALF) programs across Michigan and has employees serving on the board of directors and as course leaders, coaches, and assistants. GLCF employees also volunteer with Think Detroit, Habitat for Humanity, American Cancer Society, St. Ignatius Nonprofit Housing Corporation Board, Michigan Avenue Business Association Board, Special Olympics, Kids in the Kitchen, Junior League, FEAST, Relay for Life, American Red Cross, and many more.  In 2007, employees of GLCF contributed $1.1 million through donations and grants towards these efforts.  This includes $2,500 offered to each employee to donate to a charity of his or her choice.

The Mentor of the Year award was presented to Cary Levy of Troy .  This award honors an individual who has made a significant difference in a child's life through mentoring. Cary has been mentoring Ryan through Mentor Connection for the past ten years.  Mentor Connection is a program of Jewish Family Service of Metropolitan Detroit and Cary and Ryan's relationship is the longest-running match in the program's 20-year history.  Cary met Ryan when he was just five.  Throughout the years they've enjoyed bowling, movies, hiking, and golf, and in 2006, they participated in the annual Labor Day Mackinac Bridge Run with Governor Jennifer M. Granholm.  As Ryan entered high school, their relationship changed as Ryan's problems with substance abuse landed him in a residential treatment facility.  Despite the challenge, Cary continues to support and encourage Ryan and helped with his transition following his February 15^th facility graduation.  Cary has also shown a strong commitment to Mentor Connection by serving as the mentor liaison for the past four years and participating on the program's advisory board.

The Outstanding Mentoring Program award was presented to the Carson City-Crystal Mentoring Program in Montcalm County.  This award honors a mentoring program for developing and maintaining high-quality experiences for both the mentor and mentee.  It recognizes a program that effectively utilizes the Mentor Michigan Quality Program Standards in all aspects of program delivery.  The Carson City-Crystal Mentoring Program connects at-risk students in need of guidance with caring adults.  The program was founded over ten years ago and currently engages 55 mentors and 65 mentees.  Volunteers meet with their students for one-hour each week to assist with schoolwork, offer friendship, and share their wisdom around social issues.  In 2006, the Carson City-Crystal Mentoring Program expanded and formed a partnership with Kids Hope USA and the Crystal Congregational Church to go beyond the traditional adult-child matching.  Now, two new programs focus on high school students mentoring younger children in the district.  These new programs have reached 250 youth since it began two years ago.

The Outstanding Volunteer Program award was presented to the Medical Care Access Coalition of Marquette.  This award acknowledges the importance an organization or club makes in community life.  The Medical Care Access Coalition responds to the medical needs of uninsured families and individuals in three counties in Marquette, Schoolcraft, and Alger Counties in the Upper Peninsula.  The program engages volunteer physicians and pharmacy services to provide health care and medications to those in need.  Each year, the program reaches approximately 1,000 uninsured low-income adults.  In 2006, volunteer providers gave more than $790,000 in donated services for lab tests, primary and specialty care, prescriptions, and other health services.  The MCAC has helped establish four Local Access Coalitions in all corners of the U.P. through its innovative model.

The Senior Volunteer of the Year was presented to Sarah Brooks of Grand Rapids.  This award honors a senior citizen who has taken action to make her or his community a better place to live.  Sarah has dedicated her live to veterans and their families.  Because of her family military background, including her late husband, three brothers, and a granddaughter, Sarah has been involved with serving veterans in the Grand Rapids community since the late 1940s.  She joined the Crispus Attuck Unit #59 of the American Legion Auxiliary, 62 years ago and has held all offices and chairmanships in that Unit.  She belongs to the Fifth District Association and the Eight et Forty, both initiatives of the American Legion Auxiliary.  Nearly 50 years ago she became involved with the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans where she has given more than 27,000 volunteer hours.  Sarah works hard to combat homelessness by providing materials to local shelters including Guiding Light, Dwelling Place, Ferguson Apartments, YWCA, Herkimer Hotel, Wellness House, and Liz's House.

The Volunteer of the Year award was presented to Leon Judd of Northville.   This award honors an individual who strives to improve the lives of neighbors, friends, community, or congregation.  Leon became a volunteer with the Oakwood Healthcare System in 1987 when he was vice president of human resources at National Steel Corporation. Because the majority of his National Steel coworkers lived in the Oakwood service community, Leon felt compelled to get involved in optimizing the health system servicing those people.  After Leon's son was stricken with mental illness, he became involved with the National Service Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) in 1995.  In this capacity, Leon has been involved with the Alliance for the Mentally Ill Oakland County and been president of the NAMI Metro affiliate serving Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties.  He has also been active in family-oriented instructional and support opportunities.  These are just a few of the ways Leon has devoted over 3,600 hours of his time to healthcare efforts.

Three other special awards were also presented.  William D. Johnston and Ms. Ronda E. Stryker of Portage received the Russell G. Mawby Award for Philanthropy for their outstanding service and Walter North of St. Ignace won the Community Foundation Award for Philanthropy.  The Carter Partnership Award was presented to the Alma College-Pine River Superfund Citizen Task Force .  This award inspires and rewards partnerships between colleges or universities and community groups that work together in exceptional ways to improve people's lives while helping students learn the value of service.

Click here to meet all of the Governor's Service Award 2008 Finalists .

Click here for a photographic overview of the 2008 Governor's Service Awards.

Photos of the 2008 Governor's Service Awards are now available through this link -  www.mikeqphoto.com .  Click on "Events" and then choose "2008 Governor's Service Awards".