CLEVELAND, OH (Feb. 27, 2007) - A Cleveland man has been tapped for a national “Heroes In Our Midst” award for giving his time and compassion to help improve the life of an Ohio teen.
Dennis Vaughn -- an accountant with Saltz, Shamis and Goldfarb, avid car enthusiast, and volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cleveland -- received the special award today at the 2007 Cleveland Auto Show.
Heroes In Our Midst is a national recognition program of the Greeting Card Association. The program, which recognizes everyday community heroes from around the country each month, reinforces the importance of connecting with others, and encourages Americans to send cards to the heroes in their own lives. Since its launch last year, Heroes In Our Midst has helped to generate thousands of cards for community and personal heroes.
Vaughn, who helped guide and mentor his thirteen-year-old “Little Brother” Maurice into adolescence, received a greeting card medallion and a ceremonial check for $1,000 from Heroes In Our Midst representative Juliette Bogus.
“The $1,000 will be donated in Vaughn’s name to the local Big Brothers Big Sisters agency to support similar mentoring matches in the community,” said Bogus.
Vaughn and Maurice were matched five years ago after a representative from Big Brothers Big Sisters spoke at Vaughn’s church about the need for mentors. As a child, Vaughn spent a lot of time with his uncles since his dad was not at home; they were role models and mentors for him. Having these positive influences gave him the desire to “give back” when he became an adult.
Maurice and Vaughn both share a love for cars. “After I met Dennis, I knew we were going to be great friends,” said Maurice. “Dennis has the coolest car in the world, and I love good looking cars.”
Vaughn says he considers himself the lucky one in the relationship. “Maurice has taught me to be more outgoing,” Vaughn noted. “His energy and charisma are infectious when I’m around him.”
Maurice’s mother credits Vaughn for how her son has become a confident young man. “I feel that had it not been for the consistency of a male role model in my son’s life, Maurice might have gotten in trouble and rebelled at a young age,” said Kandice Simmons.
During today’s ceremony, Maurice presented Vaughn with a greeting card noting how inseparable the two had become and how much he looked up to Vaughn. He was also quick to add how much he loves Vaughn’s “cool car.” As representatives of Big Brothers Big Sisters and attendees of the Cleveland Auto Show looked on, the teen said he hoped people throughout Ohio will also send a card to Vaughn expressing their appreciation for being his role model and Big Brother.
Cards should be addressed to:
Dennis Vaughn
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cleveland
1422 Euclid Avenue, Suite 552
Cleveland, OH 44115
“This program is all about the rewards of connecting to others and building human ties,” said Bogus. “Similarly, we believe that exchanging greeting cards is one of America’s most cherished traditions for showing that you care about others. Americans everywhere have a special card story of how someone impacted their life or created a lasting bond or shared memory through a greeting card.”
To learn more about Heroes In Our Midst, visit www.HeroesInOurMidst.org.
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Big Brothers Big Sisters is the oldest, largest and most effective youth mentoring organization in the U.S. It has been the leader in one-to-one youth service for more than a century, developing positive relationships that have a direct and lasting impact of the lives of young people. Big Brothers Big Sisters serves 240,000 children, ages 6 through 18, in all 50 states. The national offices are located in Philadelphia. To volunteer or donate, visit www.bbbsa.org.
The Greeting Card Association, headquartered in Washington, DC, represents nearly 300 U.S. and international greeting card publishers and suppliers. It is dedicated to celebrating, promoting and preserving the tradition and cultural values of exchanging greeting cards.
