News Release

Campaign for America's Future Opens Voting for 5th Annual Maria Leavey Tribute Award: Honoring an Unsung Progressive Hero

Award to be announced at Oct 3-5 Take Back the American Dream conference in Washington

Washington, DC -- The fifth annual Maria Leavey Tribute Award will be presented at the Take Back the American Dream conference on Oct.5, 2011. The award goes to a person whose tireless, behind-the-scenes work has been critical to the success of the progressive movement in the past year.

“Maria Leavey did great work without much acknowledgement while she was alive. This award is made in memory of this progressive hero: an organizer with extraordinary talent, a behind-the-scenes force with an uncanny ability to connect rising young progressives with Washington leaders,” said Campaign for America’s Future’s co-director Roger Hickey, “Leavey was a tireless advocate who often worked without claiming credit or even compensation.”

Since her death in 2006, Campaign for America’s Future honors her legacy with the Maria Leavey Tribute Award, which goes to a person in the progressive movement whose behind-the-scenes work and selfless service embodies Maria's spirit and has made an invaluable contribution to social justice.

The five finalists for the Maria Leavey Award are: Jenifer Fernandez Ancona of the
Women Donors Network, Ana Maria Archila of Make the Road New York, Joshua Barclay of DreamFarm.org, Courtney Foley of the United Food & Commercial Workers Union, and Deb Richter of Health Care for All Vermont.
Click here to learn more about the finalists and vote for the 2011 Maria Leavey Award.

“These progressive leaders are an inspiration at a time when the Progressive movement is working to fight injustice on many fronts,” Hickey said, “We hope the Maria Leavey Awards shine a spotlight on Progressive heroes who effectively battle insurmountable odds every day.”