2008 Will Rogers Humanitarian Award Winners
Will Rogers Humanitarian Award columnists announced
Two columnists received the presentation of the Will Rogers Humanitarian Award at the 2008 conference of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists in New Orleans.
For the first time in the nine-year history of the award, the judging ended in a tie. The winners are:
Carol A. Dawson, who writes “The Extra Miler” column for the Jeffersonville (Ind.) Evening News and The New Albany (Ind.) Tribune; and Bill Campbell, a longtime Florida columnist now writing for The Beachcomber, Destin, Fla.
James Rogers, great-grandson of Will Rogers, presented each of the winners with a statuette of the farsighted philosopher-humorist of the 1920s and ‘30s, who used his forum as a commentator for humanitarian purposes.
Dawson originated her column to recognize individuals who “go the extra mile” and who do not seek or receive public credit for their deeds. During the past three years, her column has featured more than 150 persons in Indiana plus many serving in the military forces.
She wrote a column about troops overseas, which resulted in nearly 3,000 cards and letters being sent to places around the world.
Campbell, a columnist for the past 20 years, had community service as a theme for many of his writings. He gave support to a wide variety of non-profit organizations and involved himself personally with a number of these groups. As president of the local unit of the American Cancer Society he was instrumental in the launching of “Relay for Life,” a program that has raised more than $1 million to benefit cancer patients.
A physician who praised his efforts to urge men to get checked for prostate cancer at an annual free screening nominated him for the award.
NSNC members last year approved a proposal that future conferences include a time to focus on how columnists can better serve those people for whom newspapers have become a last resort. At this year’s meeting columnists went into various parts of New Orleans to talk to residents affected by Hurricane Katrina and to assist in various recovery projects.