Let's pay tribute to local heroes

All too often newspapers are accused, and often rightly so, of focusing on the negatives rather than the positives and of ignoring good news stories in favour of reporting the atmosphere of doom and gloom which has pervaded this country over the last few years. In the Westmeath Independent, we attempt to reflect what's happening in our own area, good or bad, in the columns of our paper. Sometimes that can result in a partial view of Athlone as much positive work goes on behind the scenes, away from the public glare and from the media spotlight. For that reason, we are particularly proud to be associated with events such as our own Sports Star of the Year Awards and the Athlone People of the Year Awards, because they provide us with the opportunity to get our teeth into a whole plethora of good news stories. This week witnessed the launch of the 6th Athlone People of the Year Awards - and the event has rapidly become the centrepiece celebration of community spirit in this region. The People of the Year Awards allows our reporters to write about a diverse range of people who have helped develop a sense of community in this area. Whether it be those who overcame adversity or who toiled quietly for the underprivileged to those who shouted from the rooftops for their own particular interest group, the awards provides an opportunity for the local community to honour its own. Some are household names, some unsung heroes, but what they all have in common is a passion for their place, a sense of pride in being from Athlone and its wider hinterland and a commitment to making this a better place in which to live and work. These awards are particularly apt this year. In an era of disillusionment and fear, the inspirational stories of these sort of unsung community heroes can only serve to fill us with confidence that as a nation we have the capacity to work through our problems and that as a people we retain that sense of volunteerism and community spiritedness that has been our hallmark for generations. To date, these awards since their inception have honoured 40 worthy winners, but these people are just the tip of the iceberg. Each year, we received floods of nominations - and there are hundreds more who toil valiantly in their communities and organisations. The main criteria for nominees are: any person, organisation or club within Athlone and its environs who has made an outstanding contribution at a local level. Such contributions may be characterised by, for example, achievement, commitment, courage, persistence and distinction. In the past, attributes such as leadership, job creation, youth projects, economic development, professional and cultural development, work on behalf of people with disabilities and the underprivileged, and pioneering or outstanding work in education or environmental field has been considered. The Athlone People of the Year selection committee this year hopes to have a similarly plentiful response to the call for nominations. If you wish to nominate a person or organisation for an Athlone People of the Year, please fill out the coupon on Page 10 of this week's edition and return it to the Westmeath Independent, 11 Sean Costello St, or go online at www.westmeathindependent.ie/peopleoftheyear. Let's pay tribute to our local heroes!