Throughout the year, several outstanding people were recognized for their good deeds, quick responses to emergencies, and continuing efforts to improve the lives of their fellow community members and all Maine residents.

Today, as 2006 draws to a close, we join the organizations that recognized these individuals in extending our thanks and gratitude to those honorees for their generous efforts on behalf of others.

At its annual meeting last fall, Maine Children’s Alliance presented four Giraffe Awards to individuals and organizations who “Stick their Necks Out” for kids.

Maine first lady Karen Baldacci was cited for her “leadership of the Children’s Cabinet, an interagency group that has existed for years, but which has gained new cohesion and effectiveness during the four years she has chaired the group,” according to an MCA release. The group of leaders from various state agencies focuses on the well-being of children.

Giraffe Award winner Jim Rier, a Department of Education senior administrator, was honored for helping reform school construction policy and mediating divisive local school issues along with promoting understanding of the goals of public education.

Regis Tremblay is founder and president of the Center for KidsFirst. The Maine-based consulting group helps communities throughout the country establish safe and healthy after-school programs.

Also receiving a Giraffe Award was the Miles for Smiles mobile dental clinic, which is based at Penobscot Community Health Center in Bangor.

The Oral Health Program is a cooperative partnership of PCHC and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Maine.

In three years, it has recorded more than 8,600 patient visits; performed nearly 30,000 individual procedures; and provided many low-income children and teens with their first dentist visit.

The Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence held its annual Blaine House Tea last fall in Augusta to honor community leaders and volunteers for their work in the prevention of domestic violence.

During the tea, Tamar Mathieu, who is directing attorney for the Penquis Community Action Program Law Project, received an award “for her dedication in assisting individuals whose lives have been affected by domestic violence,” according to a Penquis CAP release.

In addition to her professional work with the Law Project, Mathieu is a trained hot line volunteer for WomanCare, the domestic violence project in Piscataquis County, and she also volunteers for Rape Response Services, the agency that assists people in Penobscot and Piscataquis counties affected by sexual assault.

In appreciation for their outstanding service to residents of their communities and surrounding areas, in October six individuals and one organization were honored with 2 Those Who Care awards.

This recognition program for community service was developed by WLBZ 2 in partnership with United Way of Eastern Maine and is sponsored by Merrill Bank and Webber Energy Fuels.

Congratulations are extended to this year’s 2 Those Who Care honorees: Kathy Bryant of Northport, Susan Carlisle of Bangor, Bernard “Bill” Miller of Bangor, Kathy Crossman of Veazie and Gary Page of Old Town.

Wilma “Willie” Bradford of Bangor received the John W. Coombs Award and Island Connections of Mount Desert Island received the Agency of Distinction 2 Those Who Care award.

It is with great pleasure that I pass along to you the news that Tess Collins, who has been employed by OHI in Hermon for 13 years, is one of three national winners of the Irwin Siegel Agency Direct Support Professional Recognition Award.

The Siegel Agency, an insurance and risk management organization in the human services field, created and sponsored the award to “Support Those Who Support Others.”

Collins was cited for having supported “a wide variety of people with disabilities” and having “provided invaluable service to OHI.”

She was commended for consistently demonstrating “her commitment and caring of people with disabilities,” and having assisted them in achieving “interdependence and community inclusion.”

OHI is a nonprofit social service agency that helps people with disabilities to live and work in their own communities.

During a fall soccer tournament in Old Town, Special Olympics Maine Soccer received three sets of competition goals purchased from memorial donations in honor of late Dedham teenager Benjamin Tardiff.

Tardiff, a Special Olympics volunteer and soccer enthusiast, died in a 2005 automobile accident.

SOME chief executive director Phil Geelhoed said the gift was a major addition to the program because SOME had to borrow goals or use field hockey goals or cones to define goal areas.

Joni Averill, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402; 990-8288.