FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Tempe, AZ, April 20, 2009


Sun Sounds of Arizona was recently awarded the 2009 Governor’s Volunteer Service Award in the category of Non-profit\Faith-based Organizations by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer and the Governor’s Commission on Service and Volunteerism.

Each year this award, which is considered to be the highest volunteer award in the state, recognizes individuals and organizations who have given their time and talents to help solve Arizona’s social problems. The Commission received over 120 nominations from around the state, and a winner was selected in each of 10 categories. A panel of statewide judges selected the recipients based on need, action, innovation and impact.

“We know that the need for our service is wide-spread, and that for 30 years Sun Sounds has been an innovator in the field of information access,” said Director Bill Pasco. “What I believe tells the story of Sun Sounds, though, is the impact we have on those who listen and use our services.”

In receiving the Governor's Volunteer Service Award, Sun Sounds of Arizona joins the ranks of other valuable non-profit services in Arizona, like Hospice of the Valley, who've been so recognized.

The Governor's Commission on Service and Volunteerism, which bestows this award, was founded in 1994 to make policy recommendations to the Governor for community service and volunteer-related issues. The commission envisions a state in which Arizonans view service and civic engagement as an essential civic responsibility, and people and communities are connected and strengthened through service and volunteerism.
The award will be presented to Sun Sounds Director Bill Pasco and volunteers Donna Schober and Bill Davis at an awards luncheon on April 29.

For additional information about this release contact:

Heidi Capriotti
Marketing Coordinator, Sun Sounds of Arizona
2323 W. 14th St., Tempe, AZ 85281-6950
480-774-8300
heidi.capriotti@riomail.maricopa.edu

About Sun Sounds of Arizona Sun Sounds of Arizona, established in 1979, is a radio reading and information access service for people who cannot read print due to a disability. A community outreach service of Rio Salado College, Sun Sounds uses 500 volunteers across the state to provide information access free of charge, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week using special radios, designated cable systems, telephone and the internet.