The annual Jefferson Award program recognizes people who make a difference . . . individuals who have made Washington -- and the world -- a better place.

The Jefferson Awards, sponsored by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and the American Institute for Public Service, honor ordinary people who do extraordinary things for other people, their community, their nation or the environment.

Since 1977, when the program began here, more than 1,000 people from all over Washington have earned Jefferson Awards honors.

A panel of judges each year selects five nominees to receive a Jefferson Award medallion at a civic celebration in March. One of the winners will represent the people of Washington state at a national awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., in June.

Nominate a local hero

Click here for a nomination form (PDF format), which you can print, fill out and mail to P.O. Box 9670, Seattle WA 98109. The deadline is Feb. 20, 2008.