Washington PAVE Proudly Announces
The 2008 You Make a Difference Award Winners



People enjoy hearing meaningful stories about others who have made positive contributions. In ancient Greece, fables were stories told to teach a useful lesson. The following fable, Making a Difference, taken from the Niemann Pick Newsletter, January 1996, provides the meaning behind this award:

An old man walked up a shore littered with thousands of starfish beached and dying after a storm. A young man was of him picking them up and flinging them back into the ocean. “Why do you bother? The old man scoffed. You are not saving enough to make a difference.” The young man picked up another starfish and sent it spinning back to the water. “Made a difference to that one”, he said.

2008 Winners of the You Make a Difference Coin of Excellence Awards


Betty Taylor

Volunteering means a lot to Betty Taylor. She has been a Community Volunteer for the Parent Training and Information Program for 9 years. Betty does extraordinary work for PAVE and still has time to volunteer for Toys for Tots. She was instrumental in getting Federal Way City Council to approve installing timed cross-walk signals at major intersections. Betty challenges everyone to take on a volunteer job. She says, “There is so much work to do in the community and not enough people to do it.”



Darci Osborne and Jodi Ward

Darci and Jodi have been working together as parents in their community to make a difference for about three years. Darci was appointed to the SICC for infants and toddlers as a parent representative. Jodi participates as a committee member on the Family Leadership Team of the State ICC. In their community with a small amount of money, they hosted a day where families could meet and quickly interview prospective respite providers. They are coordinating a series of parent classes for parents with special needs children and others with high needs in their community.



Emily Rogers

Her nine years of advocacy has increased access to the legislative process for Washingtonians with developmental disabilities. Her tenacity, reliability, and unpretentious nature are tools Emily uses to support others to gain the skills needed to achieve change. She has played a pivotal role in building bridges between an advocacy movement led by parents, and one led by people with disabilities.







We would like to honor the people who were nominated for this award:

  • Brian Dahl
  • Don and Nancy Martin
  • Joelle Brouner
  • Mike Mazurek
  • Patricia Martinelli
  • Sarah Judkin-Clark
  • Aaron Olson
  • Carol Carrothers
  • Teri Wright
  • Dani Wykes
  • Janet González


    CIP Youth Leaders:

  • Paula Martin
  • Milissa Burkey
  • Melissa Foss
  • Miranda Matson
  • Sean Duggan
  • Kyle Lehosky
  • Riley Sullivan
  • Joel González
  • Josh Burkey
  • Woody Shaufler
  • Caitie Williams
  • Sarah Spunagle
  • Maegan Jackson
  • Anjuli Russell
  • Chris Forsberg
  • Noah Turgman
  • Brenna Spadoni
  • Brittany White
  • Brittanie Saxberg

    Please, start thinking about someone to nominate for the “2009 You Make a Difference Award” by sharing the story about how that person made a difference for you or for others. Share these true stories. Who is that person for you? Who do you know, who has reached outside their own comfort zone to help someone? They could be parents, professionals, volunteers, students, businesses, schools, etc. who do wonderful things in their community. Please nominate your “somebody” who MAKES A DIFFERENCE.

    Many people don’t even realize what they have done to help a life of another person. Each person has a choice in making the world better. It could be something as simple as a smile for the person standing in line at the grocery store, or offering a helping hand to a fellow community member in need.

    Up to 3 nominees will be awarded the Coin of Excellence at Washington PAVE’s You Are The Expert Conference 2009.

    For more information, please call 253-565-2266 (v/tty) or 1-800-5-PARENT (v/tty).