Daniel Boorstin wrote, "In our world of big names, our true heroes tend to be anonymous. In this life of illusion and quasi-illusion, the person of solid virtues who can be admired for something more substantial than his well-knowness often proves to be the unsung hero: the teacher, the nurse, the mother, the honest cop, the hard worker at lonely, underpaid, unglamorous, unpublicized jobs."

The proverbial unsung hero: We all know one or two.

These are the individuals or groups who keep doing what they do to make our community and lives better, but very rarely get the recognition they so richly deserve.

We are happy to announce that we will recognize the true, yet often anonymous, Tri-Valley Heroes this holiday season through a series of feature articles honoring eight individuals or groups for their positive influence on the Tri-Valley and the lives of its residents. We will feature two Heroes each week beginning Nov. 23 and concluding Dec. 14.

We want to recognize those individuals, groups or organizations that stand out because of their actions, integrity or honor. A hero can be a firefighter who rescues a child from a burning house, the girl who is courageously battling leukemia, the business that allows its employees to mentor teens for an hour a week or the neighborhood group that cleans up the creek.

Awards will be given in the following categories: Arts and Culture, Community Spirit, Courage, Environmental Stewardship, Innovation, Rising Star and Role Model. The Lifetime Achievement award will recognize an individual or group for contributions, leadership, enthusiasm and tireless efforts on behalf of his or her community, county and neighbors.

We are calling for nominations. Individuals who live or work in Pleasanton, Dublin, San Ramon, Danville, Alamo or Blackhawk are eligible, as are organizations and businesses headquartered in these communities. If you know a person, organization or group deserving of recognition, complete the form at http://tinyurl.com/Tri-ValleyHeroes. Nominations can also be emailed directly to gallen@PleasantonWeekly.com, but make sure all the information requested on the form is included. Nominations must be received by 5 p.m. Oct. 4.

We are also looking for sponsors for the program and for the individual awards. Any individual or group can sponsor. Please contact me directly at gallen@PleasantonWeekly.com or 925-600-0840 for information.

We hope you find this opportunity to recognize the unsung Tri-Valley Heroes as exciting as we do!