The 10th annual Liberty Medal Awards
Help salute our unsung heroes!
- Last Updated: 7:36 AM, July 18, 2011
- Posted: 3:02 AM, July 18, 2011
Ten years ago, out of the ashes of one of our darkest days, the unbreakable spirit of New York City rose up. Acts of random kindness, selfless sacrifice and uncommon courage sprang forth in our hour of greatest need following the horrific 9/11 attacks.
It was breathtaking. And it inspired The Post to ask our readers to help us celebrate this New York spirit by honoring the unsung heroes, the silent good Samaritans, the hometown champions among us with our first annual New York Post Liberty Medals in 2002. Every year since then, you, our readers, have brought us the extraordinary stories of a parade of New Yorkers ages 8 to 108. (See facing page.)
It is with a sense of privilege and great pride that we kick off the 10th annual Liberty Medals. Again, we invite you to tell us about those who deserve tribute for going above and beyond to make this city the greatest on earth. The Post is partnering with Fox 5 and getting a hand from beloved New Yorker Regis Philbin to salute the everyday heroes.
“This is one of my favorite nights of the year. New York people being honored for some good deed they’ve done to make this city a better place. If you know someone like this, let The Post know. I’d love to meet them and congratulate them,” said Philbin, who has emceed the Liberty Medal awards ceremony for eight years.
Tom Porton, a Bronx high school teacher and inaugural winner of a Liberty Medal in the Educator category in 2002, says he treasures it.
“I’ve won numerous awards for my work in education, but I look very fondly at the Liberty Medal because that was actually a true New York City award. And if I’m anything, it’s a devout New Yorker,” Porton said.
It’s easy to nominate. Just log on to nypost.com/libertymedals and submit nominations in any of the eight categories detailed below.
Tell us in 100 words or less why your hero is the best of the best. You may nominate only living people.
A panel of notable New Yorkers will choose from among the nominees in each category to name the winners, who will be honored by The Post on Oct. 18.
Each winner will receive as a symbol of our gratitude a medal engraved with Lady Liberty’s torch and created for The Post by celebrated New York graphic artist Milton Glaser, who devised the iconic “I ♥ New York” logo.
2011 LIBERTY MEDAL CATEGORIES
* Leadership Medal
For a compassionate, disciplined person whose activities during the past year most improved the quality of life in a borough or neighborhood.
* Freedom Medal
For an immigrant New Yorker who best embodies the values of honesty, industriousness and hard-earned success, or a New Yorker who reflects the finest qualities of New York to the world.
