Paula Hawkins Award

Background:

The Senator Paula Hawkins Family Service Award is an award sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Orlando, Florida, and was awarded first to Senator Paula Hawkins, herself, in October 2006 during Orange County’s Week of the Family for her work on the Senate Children’s Caucus.  She was effective in raising public awareness of child abuse and was instrumental in passing the Missing Children’s Act of 1982, which established a national clearinghouse for information about missing children. Since then, the award is given annually to a person who has labored to protect children and strengthen families.

Definition/Purpose:

To publicly recognize a person who has labored diligently to protect children and strengthen families.

Eligibility:

The award is open to Orange County, Florida residents who have gone above and beyond their normal job duties in working with children and families.  No elected officials, currently in office, or members of the Week of the Family Foundation or Committee can receive the award.

Criteria:

This award will be given to a living individual who has labored to protect children and support families.

Nominations:

Nominations are to be made via the form on the Week of the Family website.

Voting Procedures:

The Week of the Family Committee will review all the nominations and make three recommendations to the sponsors for final choice of the recipient.  After reviewing and discussing the candidates, each of the committee members will choose their top three candidates.  The three moving forward to the sponsors will be the top three receiving the highest and most votes from all the committee members.

Calendar:

• Nominations accepted until the Wednesday before the August Week of the Family committee meeting.
• Committee discussion and recipient vote:  During the August Week of the Family committee meeting.
• Sponsor deliberation:  Following the August Week of the Family committee meeting, the three candidates moving forward will be sent to the sponsor to be decided by the first week of October.
• Announcement:  Following acceptance by recipient, a press release will be issued by October 10th.
• Awarded:  During the Awards Dinner or Breakfast for the Week of the Family.

Recognition:

The Paula Hawkins Family Champion Award recipient will be acknowledged at the Awards Dinner or Breakfast for the Week of the Family.

The recipient will be presented with a Christus statue and award provided by the sponsors.

Sponsor:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints