Nominations being accepted for Spirit of Freedom award

Do you know someone who strives to make life better for others in your community?

If you do, here’s a chance to recognize that special person.

For the third year in a row, the Santa Rosa Press Gazette and Florida Freedom Newspapers will recognize a resident who reflects the core values of Freedom Communications, our parent company.  Those values are: respect for individual liberty, self-responsibility, lifelong learning, community and integrity.

Winners of our Spirit of Freedom award the past four years — including our 2008 winner — exemplify those values. Past winners are:

- Longtime community volunteers Bob and Nancy Garcia of Niceville; and O.L. “Ole” Ellis, a longtime business and community leader in Washington County.

- Bud Day, a Fort Walton Beach attorney and veteran pilot who earned the Medal of Honor for the courage he displayed while a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. Day also led a court battle to protect the health benefits of World War II and Korean War veterans.

- Patt Maney, an Okaloosa County judge and until recently a brigadier general in the U.S. Army Reserve. Maney was wounded by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.

- Larry Boldin, pastor for Striving for Perfection Ministries in Fort Walton Beach.

- David Goetsch, vice president of Northwest Florida State College and author of several books.

- Eddie Phillips, formerly of Shalimar, past president of the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce and former member of the University of West Florida board of trustees.

If you know someone as deserving, please nominate them.

Nominating is easy. Just go to srpressgazette.com, click on the Spirit of Freedom award icon toward the bottom of the page, and fill out the nomination form that can be found in the rotating features box in the middle of the main page. Or e-mail your nomination to: vgainer@pcnh.com. Or fax it to (850)763-4636.