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Nebraska Family Week begins Sunday November 18 and runs through November 24th.  The proclamation was signed by Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman and there were four outstanding families from the Metro area on hand.  I had a chance to meet each family  while serving as emcee for Omaha Heartland Family Service dinner on November 15th.  More than 250 people were on hand at Happy Hollow Country Club and all were treated to an evening rich with inspiration and emotion.

The 2007 award for Leadership went to Bill and Berniece Grewcock.  Through Bill's long association with Kiewit Construction he and his wife have been generous in philanthropy and volunteer efforts in our community.  Their two sons and their wife's have followed that example and contribute in much the same way.

Andy and Susan Bailey were honored with the Commitment to Family award.  While raising Susan's son Brandon, the couple decided to adopt a child from Romania.  That was in 1998 and since then the family has grown with three more adopted children from India.  Andy emotionally spoke of the other children at the orphanage who he had to leave behind.

The Margaret and George Johnson family presented a problem for the photographer.  There were so many that came forward to receive the Community Service award, they filled the entire front to the room.  There are too many volunteer efforts to mention but this will give you an idea of their dedication to serve others.  For the last eleven years they have all served Christmas dinner at the Stephens Center.

And the award for the Challenged and Successful family goes to Connie Smallwood and the Todd children.  Connie's sister died at age 29 of a massive heart attack and Connie stepped up to care for the five children left behind without a mother or father.  The children refer to Connie as "Mom" even though she has not been able to afford adoption.

It was a heartwarming evening and as I told the audience at the conclusion, these families present a much more accurate snapshot of our community than the difficult stories we report on the news.  Great things are happening in our neighborhoods, it's good to be reminded of that with an event like this one.

Knicely Done!