THE CHRISTOPHERS INC

CHRISTOPHER AWARDS - THE CHRISTOPHER AWARDS WERE CREATED IN 1949 BY OUR FOUNDER, FATHER JAMES KELLER, M.M., BECAUSE HE UNDERSTOOD THAT THE ARTS, MEDIA, AND POPULAR CULTURE HAD THE POWER TO INFLUENCE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE. HE REALIZED THAT WHEN WE'RE EXPOSED TO STORIES THAT SHINE A LIGHT ON OUR STRUGGLES AS WELL AS VIRTUES, SUCH AS FAITH, COURAGE, HOPE, AND LOVE, WE CAN BECOME MOTIVATED TO BECOME BETTER, MORE SELFLESS PEOPLE. THEREFORE, THE CHRISTOPHER AWARDS HONOR BOOKS, FILMS AND TELEVISION PROGRAMS THAT AFFIRM THE HIGHEST VALUES OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT. THE GOAL OF OUR AWARDS IS TO ENCOURAGE CREATIVE ARTISTS TO PURSUE EXCELLENCE IN ARENAS THAT HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO INFLUENCE A MASS AUDIENCE IN A POSITIVE WAY AND TO ENCOURAGE READERS AND VIEWERS TO TAP INTO THE BETTER SIDE OF THEIR HUMAN NATURE BY SEEING POSITIVE EXAMPLES PRESENTED TO THEM IN ENGAGING AND ENTERTAINING WAYS. THE ANNUAL CHRISTOPHER AWARDS CEREMONY IS A HIGH-PROFILE MEDIA EVENT REGULARLY HOSTED BY A FAMOUS TV PERSONALITY. RECENT WINNERS INCLUDE ACTOR STEVE GUTTENBERG, WHO WROTE A MEMOIR ABOUT BEING A CAREGIVER FOR HIS DYING FATHER; ACTOR JONATHAN ROUMIE, WHO EXECUTIVE PRODUCED A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT BOYS' TOWN FOUNDER FATHER EDWARD FLANAGAN; GREG KWEDAR, WHO DIRECTED THE FILM "SING SING" ABOUT AN ARTS PROGRAM THAT BRINGS HOPE AND REHABILITATION INTO PRISONERS' LIVES; HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR DR. EDITH EVA EGER, WHOSE MEMOIR RECALLS HER TIME IN A CONCENTRATION CAMP AND HOW SHE OVERCAME SURVIVOR'S GUILT TO LIVE A FULFILLING LIFE HELPING OTHERS; WRITER/DIRECTOR/PRODUCER/ACTRESS BONNIE HUNT, "GENERAL HOSPITAL" STAR AND MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATE MAURICE BENARD, OLYMPIAN AND ADVOCATE FOR SEXUAL ABUSE VICTIMS ALY RAISMAN, PLAYWRIGHT AND SONGWRITER LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA, AND CHILDREN'S BOOK AUTHOR AND DISABILITY ADVOCATE ANITRA ROWE SCHULTE. DAVID HEMINGSON, THE WRITER AND PRODUCER OF THE CHRISTOPHER AWARD-WINNING FILM "THE HOLDOVERS" WROTE TO SAY, "THE FACT THAT THE CHRISTOPHERS HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED 'THE HOLDOVERS' FOR ITS THEMES OF SACRIFICE, HUMOR AND HEALING MEANS THE WORLD TO ME, SINCE IT WAS BASED ON THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT SHAPED ME AS A YOUNG MAN. IN FACT, THE SCREENPLAY WAS WRITTEN AS A LOVE LETTER TO MY MOTHER, LORETTA GORA HEMINGSON, MY FATHER, RICHARD HEMINGSON, AND MY UNCLE, EARL CAHAIL. I THINK THAT MY MOM - UPON WHOM I BASED THE CHARACTER OF MARY - WOULD BE PARTICULARLY TOUCHED, SINCE SHE WAS A FAITHFUL CATHOLIC FOR HER ENTIRE LIFE. I WILL CHERISH MY CHRISTOPHER AWARD AND ENDEAVOR TO LIVE UP TO THE SPIRIT IN WHICH IT IS GIVEN. AND AUTHOR AND HUMANITARIAN MARK K. SHRIVER WROTE, "GROWING UP, THE CHRISTOPHERS AND THE CHRISTOPHER AWARD WERE WELL-KNOWN IN OUR HOUSE. THEY STOOD FOR SPREADING THE GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL. I WAS BEYOND THRILLED WHEN BOTH 'A GOOD MAN: REDISCOVERING MY FATHER, SARGENT SHRIVER AND '10 HIDDEN HEROES' WON CHRISTOPHER AWARDS! BOTH BOOKS WERE AN ATTEMPT TO ELEVATE AND CELEBRATE PEOPLE WHO LIVE LIVES DEDICATED TO FEEDING THE HUNGRY, CLOTHING THE NAKED, SHELTERING THE HOMELESS AND VISITING THOSE IN PRISONCARING FOR OTHERS. AND THAT'S WHAT THE CHRISTOPHERS HAVE LONG DONE; THEY HAVE BEEN SHINING A LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS, INSPIRING MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ALL ACROSS AMERICA, AND THE WORLD. I AM SO PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THEM!"

YOUTH MINISTRY - EVERY YEAR, WE INVITE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ALL ACROSS THE UNITED STATES - GRADES 9 THROUGH 12--TO CREATE A POSTER THAT VISUALLY INTERPRETS THE TIMELESS THEME, "YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE." USING PHOTOGRAPHS, HAND-DRAWN PICTURES OR IMAGES CREATED WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF COMPUTER GRAPHICS, THESE PUPILS WORK TO ARTISTICALLY CONVEY WHAT MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN ACTION MEANS TO THEM. AT THE CHRISTOPHERS, WE TYPICALLY RECEIVE OVER 1,000 ENTRIES EVERY YEAR, BOTH THROUGH OUR REGULAR MAIL AND VIA E-MAIL. SARAH E. HOLINSKI, OUR YOUTH COORDINATOR, ASSISTS WITH THE REVIEW PROCESS. THE STUDENTS ARE FIRST NOTIFIED OF THEIR WINNINGS VIA E-MAIL, AND LATER RECEIVE OFFICIAL LETTERS WITH THEIR PRIZES, DELIVERED DIRECTLY TO THEIR HOME ADDRESSES. OUR ANNUAL VIDEO CONTEST FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS IS CONDUCTED IN A SIMILAR MANNER. IN THIS COMPETITION, WE LOOK FOR VIDEOS THAT VISUALLY PORTRAY THE BELIEF THAT ONE PERSON, ONE ORGANIZATION, EVEN ONE SIMPLE ACT OF KINDNESS TRULY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. THE JUDGING PROCESS OF THE VIDEO CONTEST IS IDENTICAL TO THAT OF OUR POSTER CONTEST. WE HAVE FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD PRIZE WINNERS AND, DEPENDING ON THE QUANTITY OF SUBMISSIONS THAT YEAR, ANYWHERE FROM THREE TO FIVE HONORABLE MENTIONS.FIRST PRIZE IN THE CHRISTOPHERS' 37TH ANNUAL VIDEO CONTEST FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS WENT TO JAKE GIST, A BELMONT UNIVERSITY MEDIA PRODUCTION MAJOR. HE PROFILED FORMER 5TH GRADE TEACHER MRS. LINDA LYON IN HIS "SNAP (STUDENT POWER, WORLD INSPIRED) NEWS" REPORT. MRS. LYON HAS "GONE FROM A DEDICATED TEACHER [FOR 37 YEARS] TO A SCHOOL'S HONORED NAMESAKE," GIST NARRATES AS B-ROLL OF LYON'S TEACHING CAREER PLAYS ACROSS THE SCREEN. A VIDEO TESTIMONIAL BY FORMER PUPIL, JON BAILEY, DESCRIBES MRS. LYON AS "SOMEBODY WHOMEANS THE WORLD TO HIM AND "POURS THEIR HEART AND SOUL INTO NOT JUST EDUCATION, BUT ALSOYOUR[LIFE]." JAKE GIST GOES ON TO SAY THAT EVEN THOUGH MRS. LYON HAS SINCE RETIRED AS AN EDUCATOR, HER DESIRE TO ASSIST THE LOCAL YOUTH IN HER COMMUNITY REMAINS AS STRONG AS EVER, AS EVIDENCED BY HER WORK WITH "[LONE STAR] CASA (COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATES)," WHICH WAS CREATED TO HELP "CHILDREN THAT HAVE SUFFERED ABUSE OR NEGLECT."FIRST PRIZE IN THE CHRISTOPHERS' 35TH ANNUAL POSTER CONTEST FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WENT TO ALYSSA PONTZ, A SENIOR AT CAPSTONE ACADEMY IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA. HER POSTER CONSISTS OF A PHOTOGRAPH OF HERSELF AND HER FRIEND READING TO A GROUP OF CHILDREN, DEMONSTRATING JUST HOW MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE ONE MEANINGFUL STORY CAN MAKE. IN AN EMAIL TO THE CHRISTOPHERS, ALYSSA EXPLAINED, "WE CREATED A CHILDREN'S BOOK [TITLED A GUIDE TO BUTTERFLIES (IN YOUR STOMACH): A BOOK FOR KIDS' WORRIES] THAT FOCUSES ON DIFFERENT WAYS KIDS CAN HANDLE THEIR ANXIETIES AND WORRIES. [AUTHOR SOPHIA ROSE] IS AN EXCELLENT WRITER, AND I HAD THE PLEASURE OF ILLUSTRATING IT, AND BRINGING THE CHARACTERS TO LIFE. WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO READ IT IN FRONT OF A CLASS, AND IT WAS MAGICAL. READING [THE BOOK] IN FRONT OF KIDS WAS ESPECIALLY ENLIGHTENING. WE GOT TO WATCH THEM REACT AS WE READ AND HEAR THEIR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BOOK AFTER. IT WAS A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE, AND I REALLY FELT LIKE WHAT WE HAD CREATED MADE A DIFFERENCE."