There are just a few days left to nominate someone for The Angel Award. The nominations process ends next Monday, April 12 – so if you’ve been on the fence about whether to nominate someone you know who is doing great work for children, now’s the time!
One of the biggest reasons I believe The Angel Award program is so special is because of how its honorees truly represent the rich diversity of the Louisianian spirit of giving. We’ve had Angels representing every part of the state, of many colors and backgrounds. In age, they’ve ranged from 7 to 98.
The Angel Award is a reminder to me that the work of digging in to make life better for generations of children is the work of a community. We all share the duty. While some of our past honorees have been nonprofit professionals or philanthropists, many are everyday folks who saw a problem and decided to give their time and energy to fixing it. Their example inspires others and, through their passion and effort, they make a remarkable difference in the lives of kids.
I mention this because we sometimes get questions and comments like, “I know somebody who has been doing amazing work with children for years, but they haven’t raised a million dollars or anything. Do you think they qualify?” Or “I know someone who’s doing great work but I’m not sure that they’ve been recognized because they’re too young. Or too old. Or try to avoid getting attention for what they do. I’m not sure if this opportunity is right?”
Friends, if you are within the sound of my digital voice – the answer is a resounding YES. These folks and others are exactly the sort of people we want you to nominate.
Which brings us to the not-so-secret-secret. You might not know this, but the Blue Cross staff doesn’t select the Angel honorees. Neither does our board. Past Angel honorees select the next class of Angels. And they make it a point, year after year, to find truly special people that represent the diversity of work supporting kids across our state. Consistently they identify honorees who are doing essential work in bridging the gaps for Louisiana kids who need it most. The nominees selected frequently do work with kids who have been overlooked in ways we would never have expected.
Aside from the trophy and the $25,000 grant award, we aim to make The Angel Award and its honorees highly visible. We know it can help to raise the profile of individuals doing important work. And with some additional resources and hopefully some new recognition and connections, many of our Angels have gone on to achieve even more extraordinary heights of service for Louisiana’s young people.
The nomination form is simple, easy and online here. Take a moment, think about those heroes in your community, and nominate them!
Have a great week,
Michael Tipton
President, BCBSLA Foundation
Head of Community Relations
michael.tipton@bcbsla.com
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