Playboy Foundation Opens Nominations for Its Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Awards
November 10 2005 - 12:52PM
PR Newswire (US)
CHICAGO, Nov. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- The Playboy Foundation today
announced that it is accepting nominations for its Hugh M. Hefner
First Amendment Awards. Established in 1979 by Playboy Enterprises,
Inc.'s now-Chairman and CEO Christie Hefner, the awards program
honors individuals who have made significant contributions to
protect and enhance First Amendment rights of Americans. Since its
inception, more than 100 individuals including high school
students, lawyers, journalists and educators have been honored with
a Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Award. The awards are given in
areas including print and broadcast journalism, education, book
publishing, arts and entertainment, government and law. Past
winners have included Nicholas Becker, for challenging the
constitutionality of a student-led prayer during his high school
graduation ceremony; Bill Maher, as host of Politically Incorrect,
for speaking out at a time when Americans were encouraged to
abandon the Bill of Rights in exchange for the false comfort of
"national security"; Mary Dana and Nancy Zennie, co-founders of
"Muggles for Harry Potter," a group of students, parents and
teachers who successfully rallied to oppose a Michigan school
superintendent's decision to ban the Harry Potter books from
Zeeland Public Schools' curricula; Dr. Frederic Whitehurst, former
supervisory agent and forensic chemist for the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI), who blew the whistle on fraud and scientific
misconduct in the FBI crime lab; Trina Magi and Linda Ramsdell, for
organizing a grassroots campaign to eliminate Section 215 of the
USA PATRIOT Act, which undermines Americans' right to read and
access information without governmental intrusion or interference;
and Kelli Peterson, who formed the Gay-Straight Alliance, defended
its right to convene on the campus of Salt Lake City's East High
School, and inspired similar programs in 25 states. Each Hugh M.
Hefner First Amendment Award winner will receive a cash award of
$5000 as well as a specially designed plaque at an April 24, 2006
ceremony in New York City. The deadline for submitting nominations
is February 10, 2006. For more information visit
http://www.playboyenterprises.com/foundation or contact the Playboy
Foundation directly at 312-373-2435. The Playboy Foundation
supports local and national nonprofit organizations that protect
the rights of the individual in a free society. Since its inception
in 1965, the Foundation has awarded nearly $20 million in grants
and in-kind contributions to organizations concerned with First
Amendment freedoms, civil liberties and social justice. DATASOURCE:
Playboy Foundation CONTACT: Theresa Hennessey of the Playboy
Foundation, +1-312-373-2444 Web site:
http://www.playboyenterprises.com/foundation
Copyright