Celebrating Community Changemakers
Community in Motion
Problem-solvers, innovators, collaborators, activists, volunteers… what do they all have in common? They embody positive impact and change. They are rooted in communities and push forward to ensure that we all not only survive but thrive.
This year, the YMCA of Greater invited the UW HIPRC to their annual Celebrating Community Changemakers event at the Seattle Convention Center Wednesday, September 27, 2023. Celebrating Community Changemakers (formerly known as the A.K. Guy Awards Event), is meant to gather and recognize the people who convene the conversations and champion the change needed to create communities we all want to live in.
About the Awards
Awards in two categories will be given in recognition of exceptional volunteerism and activism. Each award speaks to lasting impact, addressing urgent issues, and enriching our neighbors’ lives today and tomorrow.
- Volunteer Service Award: The A.K. Guy Award is presented to individuals, couples, families, or groups who exemplify the ideals of the late Albert K. Guy through their outstanding volunteer service and dedication to social responsibility and equity and justice for all.
- Social Justice Award: The Judge Charles V. and Lazelle Johnson Excellence in Social Justice Awardis presented to an individual, couples, families, or groups who exemplify the ideals of Seattle civil-rights pioneers Charles V. and Lazelle Johnson through their advancement of equity and social justice in one or more of the following areas: community development, children and youth, education, health, environment, legal, economic development, and/or government.
2023 Award Honorees
Effective volunteers take ownership and make remarkable things happen. The very best are capable of reshaping the ways we see and engage in the world around us.
- K. Guy Award Honoree, Maggie Walker,has devoted 50 years to making this region as accessible, livable, and sustainable as it can be. From protecting the environment and enhancing education to redefining our cityscape culturally, economically, and physically in chairing Friends of the Waterfront, Maggie continues to leave her indelible and unmistakable marks wherever our region needs her most.
- Judge Charles V. and Lazelle Johnson Excellence in Social Justice Award Honoree, Megan Rapinoe,is a world champion athlete and world-changing advocate for human rights. Beyond her World Cups and Olympic Gold, Megan received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our nation’s highest civilian honor, for her tireless, impassioned advocacy for gender pay equality, racial justice, and LGBTQIAA+ rights.
To learn more about the awards and the recipients, or to make a gift to the YMCA, please visit the YMCA Changemakers homepage>>
