Nominate volunteers for annual award

<p>For the past 39 years, Alachua County has been honoring those special people who volunteer through the Work of Heart award ceremony and banquet. The Work of Heart team is preparing for another fantastic celebration of volunteerism, but they need your help. If you are a business, for-profit or nonprofit and believe in the importance volunteers play in our community, become a sponsor. If you are interested, contact Jennie Williams at 271-4655 or jlwilliams@havenhospice.org.</p><p>If you are an organization that uses volunteers, now is the time to nominate a volunteer. You can submit a nomination online at www.workofheartawards.com. The deadline to return nominations is March 4. You also can download a form from one of the following websites: www.havenhospice.org or www.ncfunitedway.org.</p><p>Consider nominating someone from your neighborhood as a "good neighbor." Anyone can nominate a deserving individual or group who has touched someone in their community and has made it a better place to live.</p><p>Once you download your application and complete it, you can fax it to 955-7240; e-mail it to workof heartawards@gmail.com; or mail it to 2010 Work of Heart Volunteer Awards c/o School Volunteers, 1725 SE First Ave., Gainesville, FL 32641, Attention: Work of Heart.</p><p>There are multiple categories for individuals and groups including those who work with youth, the arts, education, senior citizens, faith-based groups and civic projects. A nonpartisan panel of judges selects a top winner who has worked to positively impact the community through volunteerism in each of these categories. The individual judged as most outstanding will be presented the E.T. York Distinguished Service Award.</p><p>Individual and group nominees will receive two complimentary tickets to the annual Work of Heart Banquet which will be held at the Paramount Hotel in Gainesville at 6:30 p.m. April 26. Remember, anyone who was a 2010 Work of Heart Volunteer winner is ineligible to win in 2011, and the nominee cannot be a paid volunteer.</p><p> </p><p>If you have a question about volunteering, e-mail Pat Bellis at pjbellis@ havenhospice.org.</p>