FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 28, 2014

MEDIA CONTACTS
Gwen Schuler, Media and Communications, gschuler@cityoftacoma.org, (253) 591-5160
Maria Lee, Media and Communications, maria.lee@cityoftacoma.org, (253) 591-2054

2014 City of Destiny Award Winners Announced
by City Events and Recognitions Committee

Mayor Marilyn Strickland and the City Council will recognize Tacoma’s top volunteers this year during the 28th annual City of Destiny Awards on Wednesday, May 28, 2014, from 5 to 9 p.m. This year’s event is being hosted at Cheney Stadium (2502 S. Tyler St. in Tacoma) in partnership with United Way of Pierce County’s Retired and Senior Volunteer (RSVP) Program and the Tacoma Rainiers. 

“There has always been a strong legacy of service in Tacoma and we wanted to raise the profile of Tacoma’s most prominent volunteer recognition program – the City of Destiny Awards – starting with this year’s event,” said City Events and Recognitions Committee Chairwoman Roslyn Smith. 

The 2014 City of Destiny Award recipients are:

Youth Leadership
Joan Vo

Youth Service
Nina Thach

Adult Leadership
Mike Mowat

Adult Sustained Service
Cathy Barton

Environmental Sustainability
Tacoma Nature Center Park Stewards

Youth Group
Stadium High School Navy Junior ROTC

Community Partnership 
Tacoma First Nazarene Church

Equity and Empowerment
Wilson High School Project Unify

Community Health and Wellness 
Janet Runbeck 

Youth Mentorship 
Ron Rzewnicki 

The May 28 event will include a 5 p.m. reception for 2014 award winners and their guests in Cheney Stadium’s Summit Club; a 6:15 p.m. on-field pre-game ceremony for 2014 award winners; a 6:45 p.m. on-field pre-game parade that 2014 award winners, nominees, United Way of Pierce County volunteers, and committee, board and commission members can participate in; and recognition of each 2014 award winner in between inning breaks during the Tacoma Rainiers – Salt Lake Bees game which is scheduled to begin at 7:05 p.m.

2014 award winners, and committee, board and commission members, will receive special instructions for event attendance. Game tickets are available to nominees and members of the public at a reduced price with the promo code “destiny” using this link. 

About the City of Destiny Awards Program 

Since 1987, the City of Tacoma has honored over 200 outstanding local volunteers through its City of Destiny Awards program.  

The City of Destiny Awards program is spearheaded by a City Council appointed City Events and Recognitions Committee comprised of local community leaders from a broad array of backgrounds and areas of expertise. This committee develops the City of Destiny Awards nomination tools and selection criteria, selects the City of Destiny Awards winners and plans the annual City of Destiny Awards event. 

The annual City of Destiny Awards event is also covered by TV Tacoma and aired on both the Click! and Comcast Cable systems. On Click!, TV Tacoma can be seen on Channel 12 within Tacoma City limits and in Pierce County, with the exception of University Place, where TV Tacoma can be found on Channel 21. On Comcast, TV Tacoma can be seen on Channel 12 within Tacoma City limits and on Channel 21 in Pierce County. TV Tacoma is not on the Comcast system in University Place, but is accessible anywhere via the Internet.   

For more information, go to cityoftacoma.org/DestinyAwards. 

About United Way of Pierce County’s Retired and Senior Volunteer Program 

United Way of Pierce County’s Retired and Senior Volunteer (RSVP) Program engages volunteers 55+ in service to address critical needs in our communities and solve challenges affecting Pierce County through high impact volunteer positions.  RSVP offers a wide variety of volunteer opportunities – both long term and occasional – in the areas of education, disaster services, healthy futures (which helps ensure food stability and independent living), and veterans and military families (both in service to veterans and our armed forces, and to engage those with a military affiliation in local service).