Best Unsung Hero / Heroes

Austin's Nonprofit Volunteers

In this, our first year for this category, we find that readers voted overwhelmingly for those men and women focused on the public good, whose endless energy and tireless dedication keep certain issues and agendas from being back-burnered by the powers that be. You'll see that the list also includes some celebs and musicians to boot. Here's a short list of those who received multiple votes: Austin Free-Net, David Powell Clinic, environmentalists, firefighters, Save Barton Creek, Girlstart.com, Habitat for Humanity, Hollywood Henderson, hospice volunteers, Judge Jeanne Meurer, SafePlace, KVRX-FM UT student radio, Leslie Cochran, Austin PARD, schoolteachers, SIMS Foundation, Ray Benson, Reverend Kathy Russell, Sara Hickman, Shudde Fath, Richard Troxell, SOS, UT workers, volunteer nurses, Ted Whatley, Wildlife Rescue, and the Yellow Bike Project.