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Difference Makers Honored at Cincinnati Museum Center

Five individuals, two organizations honored for work with kids

Through its education and childhood enrichment programs, Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal celebrates those who make a difference in children’s lives every day.

But today, it aims to highlight five individuals and two organizations for their exemplary work on behalf of local children.

The 2012 Duke Energy Children’s Museum’s Difference Maker honorees are:

• Karen D’Agostino – Music Resource Center-Cincinnati

• Vanessa Sparks – Youth Opportunities Over-the-Rhine/West End

• Alex and Hannah Laman – 9-year old twins from Loveland

• Kayla Nunn – 12-year old from Western Hills

• The Dragonfly Foundation – providing comfort and joy to kids and young adults who have cancer or a blood disease

• Faces Without Places – supporting children experiencing homelessness

The 5th annual awards were presented at a dinner earlier tonight. More than 50 individuals, businesses and agencies were nominees for the 2012 Duke Energy Children’s Museum’s Difference Maker Awards. All were nominated by their peers and members of the community for the inspiring work they do.

At the Awards program, Darlene Green Kamine was honored as the Community Honoree. Kamine serves as Executive Director of the Community Learning Center Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to transforming schools into community learning centers. She served as President of both the American Bar Association Institute for Child Advocacy and the Junior League of Cincinnati, and co-founded the Cincinnati Children’s Museum, serving as President of its Board before it became the Duke Energy Children’s Museum.

For more information on all nominees including videos profiles of the honorees, visit www.cincymuseum.org/difference-maker-2012.

Proceeds from the event support museum visits and programming for underserved children and families.

To continue the celebration, Duke Energy Children’s Museum, Cincinnati History Museum and the Museum of Natural History & Science will be open FREE from 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 26 in honor of the Difference Maker nominees.

Visitors also can ride Metro Rt. 1 FREE to and from Cincinnati Museum Center Oct. 25 for the Difference Makers Awards Ceremony and on Oct. 26 during extended museum hours from 4 to 9 p.m.

Museum Center recognizes the following for their support of the 2012 Difference Maker Awards. Presenting Sponsors: Harold C. Schott Foundation and Francie & Tom Hiltz. Champion Sponsor: Dinsmore & Shohl. Benefactor Sponsors: AT&T and the Miller Valentine Group. Promotional Sponsor: METRO. Media Sponsor: The Cincinnati Enquirer.