UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA DIRECTOR NAMED NATIONAL HERO
Heroes In Our Midst Reinforces Tradition of Connecting with Others

TUCSON, ARIZONA (October 24, 2006) - A director for the University of Arizona’s Student Recreation Center has been tapped for the national “Heroes In Our Midst” award for giving her time and compassion to guide and mentor a young Tucson girl during turbulent times in her life. Juliette Moore, a mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tucson, received the special award Tuesday morning during a presentation at the University of Arizona’s Student Recreation Center.

“Heroes In Our Midst” is a national program sponsored by the Greeting Card Association to reinforce the tradition of connecting with others, and to encourage Americans to reach out to the everyday heroes in their own lives through card sending. The program, which recognizes one Hero in Our Midst each month, has helped to generate hundreds of cards for community and personal heroes.

“This program is all about the rewards of connecting to others and building human ties. We believe exchanging greeting cards is one of America’s most cherished traditions for connecting to others,” said Juliette Bogus, Heroes In Our Midst spokesperson. “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.”

We hope that in honoring Juliette Moore for her mentoring role as a Big Sister and making a difference in someone’s life, others will be inspired to make special connections with the heroes in their own lives,” Bogus added.

Moore received a special medallion greeting card and ceremonial check for $1,000. Heroes In Our Midst officials anticipate hundreds of cards will be sent to Moore from the community, expressing their appreciation for her volunteer work. The $1,000 check will be donated in Moore’s name to the local Big Brothers Big Sisters agency to support similar mentoring matches in the community.

After Moore accepted the Heroes In Our Midst award, her “Little Sister” Monique Ramirez read her own greeting card to Moore, stating, “I really appreciate you being a positive role model and influence in my life, especially through all the ups and downs.”

“Having a kidney transplant really opened my eyes to how precious life is, and how much we have to give others,” said Moore. “I realized that I still have a lot to offer, and I truly believe that every person should take the time to connect with someone special in their life. You’re never too old, too important or too busy to reach out to someone.”

Monique has been paired with Moore for the past two years and has experienced some unfortunate family situations. However, for Monique, being with Moore gives her time to relax and be a carefree teenager. “I love to be with her, no matter what,” said Monique. “I never feel alone or afraid around her. She gives me hope and confidence, especially when she gives me advice on how to handle a problem.”

Monique says she hopes that people from all over Arizona will send thousands of cards expressing their appreciation for her role model and Big Sister. Cards should be addressed to:

Juliette Moore
160 E Alameda
Tucson, AZ 85701

To learn more about Heroes In Our Midst and its goal of encouraging America’s to connect through card-sending, visit www.HeroesInOurMidst.org.

________________________________

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.