2009 Santa Rosa Merit Awards to honor contributions of those who 'make Santa Rosa a better place to live'
By MIKE McCOY
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
They are among Santa Rosa's "unsung," people whose contributions to the city and its citizens often go unheralded.
But on Monday, 21 individuals, nonprofit groups and businesses will be awarded Merit Awards for their contributions and volunteer efforts that "make Santa Rosa a better place to live," said Sally Mullen, chairwoman of the 2009 Merit Award Committee that chose this year's recipients from 38 nominations.
"It's to give honor to those who are hardly ever talked about," said Mullen, noting most honorees go about enriching people's lives, neighborhoods and opportunities with little fanfare.
Since the awards program began in 1978, more than 700 have been given out "partly to
encourage volunteerism and to show there are people among us who are unsung," she said.
