Ordinary people can make an extraordinary impact. That’s why American Red Cross is seeking nominations for local heroes to be honored at the 2010 Breakfast of Champions celebration.

Recipients are selected based on how their heroic acts save a life or positively impact lives; inspire the community; and exemplify the Red Cross mission to help people prevent, prepare for and respond to disasters and emergencies.

Nominate your Oregon hero.

Today we are celebrating 1 year of publishing goodness. We’re thrilled with the quality, the content, the stories, and with the community’s response. We are having a blast. I feel totally blessed to have the team of talent and loyalty I have beside me on this journey: Karen Kuzmack, my right hand gal and the one who keeps me sane. She is the face, the motion, the conduit for all the community synergy we have. Mary Rarick, our editor extraordinaire who has talent, patience, keen sensibilities and an ability to organize time and process like nobody’s business. Tay Juncker, our graphic designer diva. Her work is so fresh, crisp and fun and no matter what, she is always willing to go the extra mile to get it right. Helen Payne, our operations and distribution manager. Kind, funny, warm and always full of surprises with all she can do to run and manage a business. So much help from Helen, it’s too much to list. Joni Schrantz, photographer goddess. Able to take the ideas and translate them into awesome, authentic images. We are lucky to be able to visually tell our stories as beautifully as we do because of Joni. Jenny Kamprath, client care specialist who is always willing to share how great our mission and product is and do her best to grow our business. And finally, our awesome web design duo, Karen Gibson and Andrew Maxwell, who together are putting together a mighty fine direction for how we will look and technically operate and communicate with the public. It does take a village, indeed, to craft new issues month after month. I admire the strength, talent and loyalty of this team and feel blessed by all I learn from everyone’s efforts.

Wednesday night is our party at Elephant’s, and I can’t wait to share all the gratitude with our many wonderful partners, advertisers, friends and community leaders. Thanks Portland for one groovy and totally fulfilling year, I can’t wait for year two to begin. 2010 will be a banner year for Goodness, I just know it!

Janna