Big Sunday Director Named Nonprofit Leader of the Year
Big Sunday's Executive Director, David Levinson, was named Nonprofit Leader of the Year
as part of the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service.
 
The inaugural Governor and First Lady's Medal for Service recognizes a nonprofit leader
whode "innovation in the field of volunteerism has had a tangible effect in their community,
region, or in the state of California."
 
"This award is a great honor, especially coming from Governor Schwazenegger and Maria Shriver, 
who have done so much to promote volunteerism," Levinson said. "I accept it on behalf of the thousands
and thousands of people who make Big Sunday happen year after year."
 
Levinson founded Big Sunday in 1999 as a single day of community service with 200 people volunteering at
19 nonprofits in Los Angeles. This year on Big Sunday weekend, some 50, 000 volunteers of all ages and all
backgrounds worked together at more than 500 nonprofit sites from San Diego to Solvang. Big Sunday is now
the largest regional service event in America.
 
The prestigious California Medals for Service were also given to Thomas Zimmerman, who was named 
Volunteer of the Year for his work creating an after school science enrichment program for low-income
students. And to Pacific Gas and Electric Company, which received the award for Business Volunteer Program
of the Year in honor of it's employee volunteer program.
 
"We received more than 100 nominations for the 2009 inaugural awards filled with amazing stories
about volunteers and service projects that are changing neighborhoods and lives throughout the state,"
said California's Secretary of Service and Volunteering Karen Baker. "Today's recipients rose to the
top of the outstanding nominations as the embodiment of the service movement. They are an inspiration
to us all on what can be achieved through determination and commitment."