April 20, 2000

BIRMINGHAM, AL — The 20th annual Lotus Awards will be presented on May 11 to an individual and an organization who have made significant positive differences in the lives of persons with disabilities. The awards, sponsored by the Women’s Committee of the UAB Spain Rehabilitation Center, will be presented at a noon luncheon at The Club in Birmingham.

Winners will receive a bronze-and-acrylic lotus blossom from the original design by sculptor Cordray Parker. Tickets to the luncheon are $15. Call (205) 934-5855 for reservations.

“To people with disabling conditions, hope is a flower that blooms when it is cultivated. The Women’s Committee is proud to celebrate 20 years of recognizing those who help bring hope and help to their neighbors and friends with disabilities,” said Jacque Shaia, president of the Women’s Committee. Paula Miller and Kathy Darby Gray are chairing the group’s awards committee.

Nominees and their focus of service are:

INDIVIDUALS

Jane Darden, Tuscaloosa, special-needs children; Ann Dembo, Decatur, mental illness advocacy; Anne Folsom, Huntsville, retiree rights; Susan Weismann Lee, Vestavia, respite care; Elizabeth Judd and Betty Meeks, Birmingham, nursing home; Tammy Moore, Birmingham, Costello syndrome; Iva Patty, Gadsden, severe mental illness; Billie Kelly, Vestavia, salon services; Jane Rosborough, Duncanville, gardening services; Elizabeth Tanner, Birmingham, multiple sclerosis; Teri Tanner, Northport, childhood development; Bari Leigh Watson, Birmingham, playground development.

ORGANIZATIONS

Alabama Power Service Organization Western Division, Tuscaloosa, disabled children; Charity League, Birmingham, hearing-impaired children; Good Samaritan Service of Tuscaloosa County, medical assistance; National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, Birmingham, advocacy; Roanoke Telephone Co., physically and mentally disabled; Birmingham Lutheran Braille Center, vision-impaired people.