Nominations Sought For Find A Way Recognition Awards
Will honor local residents who have demonstrated perseverance and success over a lifetime based on the example set by long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad
WHAT: Nominations are now sought for the Find A Way awards, named after the long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad, who realized her goal of swimming the 110 miles from Cuba to Florida at age 64 after four failed attempts. Her words of encouragement are "Find A Way." Nyad is appearing in Sonoma County on Thursday, October 29 for a Special Breakfast Event at the Hyatt Hotel in Santa Rosa to give a talk. She will assist in awarding the medals to the winners.
WHO: Honoring residents of Sonoma, Marin, Napa, and Lake Counties who exemplify Diana Nyad’s perseverance and success in achieving a worthy goal over a lifetime. Categories for nomination include: Business, Service Organizations, Service Personnel, Nonprofit, Athlete, and Other. Nominations are accepted for individuals or organizations.
WHEN: Nominations are now open. Deadline for submission is Tuesday, October 20, 5 pm.
WHERE: Nomination forms are available online at copperfieldsbooks.com. If needed, forms may be requested by phone, 707-823-8991 x221 and they will be mailed, emailed, or faxed.
WHY: These are one-time awards given in honor of Diana Nyad’s visit to San Francisco’s North Bay and to honor the heroes who reside in San Francisco’s North Bay.
AWARDS ANNOUNCED: Winners will be announced at the breakfast October 29. Info on the event copperfieldsbooks.com.
Copperfield’s Books welcomes long distance swimmer and television personality Diana Nyad for a special breakfast event in Santa Rosa on Thursday, October 29 from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the Hyatt Vineyard Creek Hotel. Nyad, appearing in the only bookstore-hosted event in the San Francisco Bay Area, will speak about her journey to success to an audience of 600. In addition to awarding the Find A Way medals to members of the community, the event will also serve as fundraiser for victims of the Valley Fire.
Back in the 1970s, Nyad was the greatest long-distance swimmer in the world. After setting a world record circling Manhattan, Nyad became a prominent sports broadcaster, filing compelling reports for National Public Radio, ABC’s Wide World of Sports, Fox Sports, and The New York Times. Years later, on September 2, 2013, at age 64, Diana Nyad staggered ashore in Key West, Florida after her 53-hour, 110-mile record-breaking swim from Cuba. She had accomplished a feat that she had failed at four separate times, each time due to weather, drift, shoulder pain, jellyfish or Portuguese man-of-war stings. It was her compulsion to keep trying before finally realizing her dream that made her a symbol of perseverance.
Her messages to the world were: “never, ever give up”; “you’re never too old to chase your dreams”; and “it looks like a solitary sport, but it takes a team.” Millions of people around the world cheered for her and were moved by her incredible tenacity and determination, her triumph after so many bitter failures, and by the mantra—find a way—that enabled her to realize a dream in her sixties that had eluded her as a young Olympian in peak form. Her tenacity and spirit have been captured in the news as well as in a documentary.
The $55 ticket includes admission to the event, a copy of Diana Nyad’s book Find A Way ($26.95) and a continental-style breakfast. After the author talk, attendees will have the opportunity to have their books signed. Individual tickets may be purchased at copperfieldsbooks.com or in Copperfield’s Books stores. This inspirational breakfast is also a fundraising event for victims of the Valley Fire and therefore tables may also be purchased for $1000 with proceeds going to the account established at Redwood Credit Union for this purpose.
Established in 1981, Copperfield's Books is the North Bay’s premier independent bookseller with seven locations in Napa, Marin and Sonoma Counties and has built a stellar events program that includes nearly 500 events a year (most are free), both in stores and in offsite venues. Copperfield's Books is “Where Authors & Readers Meet.” For more information on upcoming events and tickets, readers may pick up a Seasonal Catalog in any of Copperfield’s Books stores or visit copperfieldsbook.com.