Family First Award
Do you have someone to nominate for the Family First Award?
*Awards are given at our Annual Fundraising Gala
Colorado Hands & Voices has a long tradition of presenting the annual Family First Award to the parent or professional who goes above and beyond in their efforts to improve systems or services for families raising children who are Deaf /Hard of Hearing.
2024
Dr. Debbie Mood,
Pediatrics-Developmental Pediatrics
Dr. Debbie Mood was awarded the Family First Award for her unwavering dedication and advocacy for proper diagnosis, treatment and support for families who are raising children that have a duel diagnosis of being Deaf/Hard of Hearing and having developmental/behavioral complications.
2023
Sara Kennedy,
Parent and Advocate
Sara Kennedy’s devotion to our families in Colorado who are raising children that are Deaf/Hard of Hearing for more than a decade grabbed our attention. Her role as the Director for Colorado Hands & Voices, until 2020, gave her a platform to make numerous positive changes for our D/HH children in Colorado.
2022
Kelly Doolittle,
CHIP Coordinator
Kelly Doolittle has made such a positive impact for families all across Colorado, but particularly along the northern front range. Her ability to connect with families and meet them where they are in their personal journey made her the 2022 winner.
2021
Cathy Bowles,
Teacher of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing
Cathy Bowles, TOD at McGraw Elementary School in Ft. Collins, CO was awarded the 2021 Family First Award for her dedication to students in a school based setting. Her tireless efforts have propelled our D/HH children to success!
2020
Megan Nix,
Parent and Author
Thank you, Megan, for your passion and drive to see CMV become a household word, and working with CO H&V on the Congenital CMV Family Network and prevention efforts statewide.
Previous honorees of the Family First Award include
Nan Thompson (2019), Millie Hamner, Dominick Moreno, Larry Liston, and Bob Gardner (2018), Dianne Goberis* (2017), Janet DesGeorges, Leeanne Seaver, and Cheryl Johnson (COHV and HQ founders), Annette Landes, Susie Broderick, Vickie Thomson, Cliff Moers, Shana Bokelman, Representative Mark Larson, Rob Frantum-Allen, Allison Sedey, Barbara Jean Wood, Stephanie Olson, Dinah Beams, Allison Biever, Donna Ewing, BJ Brubaker-Blocker, Denise Davis-Pedrie, Ruth Mathers, Cathy Noble Hornsby, Brian W. Smith, Cheryl DeConde Johnson, and Christine Yoshinaga-Itano.
*Please join us in remembering Dianne who passed away on January 16, 2019. We thank her family for sharing her with us and remember her for her many contributions to excellence in early childhood education, deaf education as a whole, and her support of families. She somehow never missed one of her kids’ games, either! Dianne, from our board of directors, staff, volunteers and most importantly, from and on behalf of the families we serve, we thank you and are glad that you chose deaf education as your lifelong passion. We treasure your smarts, your generous sharing of resources and expertise, and your sense of humor.
