Tonight We Salute NY's Real Heroes

Let’s give them a round of applause!

The New York Post is proud to announce the finalists for our eighth annual Liberty Medal Awards, a program that honors the hometown heroes whose good deeds and gallantry are the core of the Big Apple.Tonight, winners selected in each of these eight categories will receive a Liberty medal and be applauded at a reception emceed by beloved New Yorker and TV host Regis Philbin.

2009 Nominee Photo Gallery

The Post inaugurated its Liberty Medals campaign after 9/11, when a parade of unsung heroes immediately stepped forward with arms outstretched to help others without expecting recognition.

This year, we again asked you, our readers, to nominate your neighbors, co-workers and others you admire for stepping up to the plate, whether it was to keep us and our families safe or to improve our way of life.You responded enthusiastically, nominating people from all walks of life in the eight Liberty Medal categories.

A distinguished panel of New Yorkers selected the winners from the list of finalists profiled on these pages today.The judges, in alphabetical order, included Roger Ailes, chairman of Fox News Channel; Della Britton Baeza, president/ CEO, The Jackie Robinson Foundation; previous Liberty Medal winner Geoffrey Canada, President/ CEO, Harlem Children’s Zone; and previous Liberty Medal winner Majora Carter, President/ CEO, Majora Carter Group, LLC.Also, John Catsimatidis, Chairman/ CEO, Gristedes Foods Inc.; CUNY Chancellor Matthew Goldstein; Police Commissioner Ray Kelly; Lew Leone, vice president and general manager of WNYW-Fox 5 and WWOR-My9; Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta.And, Harvey Weinstein, co-chairman of the Weinstein Co.; Bill White, president, Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum; and Lloyd Williams, president/ CEO, the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce.The winners will receive a Liberty Medal created for The Post by renowned graphic designer Milton Glaser, who devised the iconic "I Love NY" logo.

Liberty Medals Categories

Young Heart

For the youth under 17 who most impressively displayed adult resolve; not for a physical feat, but for behavior that displays moral character or mature judgment during the past year.

Leadership

For a compassionate, disciplined person whose activities during the past year most improved the quality of life in a borough or neighborhood.

New York’s Finest

For the police officer whose on-the-job performance reflects the department’s honor and selflessness; to be selected in consultation with the NYPD and the Port Authority Police Department.

New York’s Bravest

For the firefighter or EMS technician whose performance in the line of duty best exemplifies the department’s unflinching heroism; to be selected in consultation with the FDNY.

Educator

For an administrator or teacher who excels at preparing the next generation of New Yorkers for their future challenges.

SUSAN VINCENT - With the minnow traps and waders she keeps in her Manhattan classroom, high school science teacher Vincent takes her students on summer canoe trips to Piermont Marsh on the Hudson River to research the ecosystem.She says she wants the girls of the Young Women’s Leadership School in East Harlem to be knowledgeable about the world they live in. "You can’t be a good citizen unless you know how the Earth operates and how we enhance our own quality of life by preserving other habitats," says Vincent.

ISRAEL SOTO - "When you help kids believe in themselves and provide them with a structured program that meets their needs, they’re going to grow," says principal Soto, who turned a failing East Harlem school into one that scores an A. When he came to PS/MS 57 a decade ago, only 13 percent scored at or above acceptable levels in reading and math. "Today we’re at 91 percent in math and 75 percent in reading," Soto said. He tells students to "Have a dream. Work hard. Graduate from college. Come back to the community and help others and be honest."

GIOVANNI D’AMATO - In his third year teaching US history and government at Williamsburg HS for Architecture and Design, D’Amato, 24, knows his students. He compiles a profile of each one, lists their abilities and develops a plan of how he’ll work them.He inspires many, said former student Ariel Alvarado, 18. "They lost faith in themselves, and he made sure they came to school, and worked with them, instead of letting them give up," said Ariel. D’Amato has "shown amazing success in student achievement" in class and on the Regents exams, said principal Gill Cornell.

Courage

For a notable act of bravery by a civilian that contributed to saving human life.

Lifetime Achievement

For the individual whose accomplishments reflect the very best of our city.

Freedom

For an immigrant New Yorker who best embodies the values of honesty, industriousness and hard-earned success or a native New Yorker who reflects the finest qualities of New York to the world.

~ To read details on the winners of the other categories please follow this link:
 2009 Nominee Photo Gallery