The 7 p.m. Jefferson Awards ceremony at The Carnegie Music Hall on Jan. 26 is free and open to the public. A reception preceding the ceremony at 5:30 is by invitation only. You can read more about the national Jefferson Awards program at www.jeffersonawards.com. Photos by Kurt Weber

One is a 78-year-old Penn Hills grandmother who gets up every weekday at 4 a.m. for a long trip across town to volunteer 40 hours a week at a West End high school.

Another is a 17-year-old Sewickley girl with a spinal cord disorder who works with children at The Woodlands Foundation in Marshall to help them develop socialization and other skills.

Then there's a Peters man who puts in countless hours making it possible for people with disabilities to waterski, snow ski, golf, bike or do any other sporting activity that normally would be beyond their abilities.

Their rewards up until now? Smiles and thank yous.

But this month, these and five others are being honored as the winners of the 2005 Jefferson Awards for Public Service.

This is a prestigious program started in 1972 by the American Institute for Public Service to recognize those who performed remarkable deeds in community service without expectation of reward or recognition. The honorees were selected by a panel of 10 judges who represent various local organizations or are prominent in the community.

This year's recipients are among 52 Community Champions who were nominated by the public and private sector. Program partners are the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, WQED Multimedia and The Pittsburgh Foundation.

At an awards ceremony, scheduled 7 p.m. Jan. 26 at the Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland, each winner will receive a medallion and $1,000 from sponsoring companies or agencies for the nonprofit organization of his or her choice.

The Post-Gazette will publish individual stories on the recipients and their accomplishments beginning tomorrow in the Magazine section of the newspaper. WQED on Jan. 24 is scheduled to profile each honoree on its show, "On Q."

Here are brief descriptions of each nominee and how he or she has served the community:

Edith Henderson, 78, of Penn Hills, is long retired and could have spent her golden years sleeping late and taking it easy. Instead, for the last nine years, she has volunteered 40 hours a week at Langley High School in the West End. She also serves on her church fund-raising committee.

Kaufmann's department store is donating $1,000 to Langley High School.

Charles and Frank Rice, both retired pharmacists who live in Squirrel Hill, are brothers in their mid-80s who have worked tirelessly delivering Meals on Wheels, taking seniors shopping, volunteering in the Charles Morris Nursing Home in Squirrel Hill and more. And they have done this for more than 20 years.

The PNC Foundation is donating $1,000 to the Jewish Association on Aging.

Libby Powers, 18, has difficulty walking because of spina bifida, a birth defect, but it hasn't stopped her from making an impact as a volunteer at The Woodlands Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps people with disabilities or chronic illness. The Sewickley native even got her church youth group involved to organize a dance for younger participants.

The Grable Family Foundation is donating $1,000 to The Woodlands Foundation.

Dr. Joseph Lagana, 67, is a lifelong educator who recognized that every child deserves a quality education -- especially those who are homeless. The Pittsburgh resident began what is now known as the Homeless Children's Education Fund in the late 1990s that established learning centers in homeless shelters.

Duquesne Light is donating $1,000 to the Homeless Children's Education Fund.

Wayne Coffield, of Peters, has a day job as a carpenter, but his heart is in helping to make the impossible possible for scores of people with disabilities through Three Rivers Adaptive Sports. Not only is he a certified level 1 adaptive ski instructor, he also uses his skills to maintain hundreds of pieces of equipment and donates his boat and time for adaptive waterski clinics.

William J. Green & Associates is donating $1,000 to Three Rivers Adaptive Sports.

Dr. Edward J. "E.J." Donnelly III, 56, of Point Breeze, a specialist in internal medicine, began providing free medical service for the women of Bethlehem Haven 22 years ago. In addition to getting his family involved in shelter activities, he has taken on several leadership roles that have helped steer the facility into the new century.

W.O.M.E.N. of Southwestern Pennsylvania Inc. is donating $1,000 to Bethlehem Haven.

Susan Wong, 25, a second-year student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, has helped doctors provide primary care and health education to the homeless at the Women's Center & Shelter. Among these tasks, she has created health pamphlets and a program on educational talks for center clients.

The FISA Foundation is donating $1,000 to the Women's Center & Shelter.