SCORE Awards Celebrate America's Small Businesses

 Business, Corporate and Individual Achievements to be Honored in September

Washington, DC- SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business" announces the winners of the first-ever SCORE Awards, which recognize and celebrate excellence in and support of  America 's small businesses.

SCORE CEO Ken Yancey says, "The SCORE Awards will be equal parts inspiration, celebration and recognition honoring our nation's most exciting small businesses, together with leading corporate and government small business advocates." Yancey adds, "The success of small business success is the stimulus that will propel our nation through the current economy."

For 2009, the following SCORE Awardees will be recognized at the inaugural SCORE Awards and black-tie gala, which will be held at the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel in  Washington, D.C. , on Thursday, September 17:

·          Outstanding Woman-Owned Business Award – sponsored by Constant Contact: Zakeez,  Houston, Texas

·          Outstanding Socially Principled Business Award – sponsored by the Office Depot Foundation: East Cooper Community Outreach (ECCO),  Charleston, S.C.

·          Outstanding Minority-Owned Business Award: Haas Media LLC,  Jersey City, N.J.

·          Outstanding Veteran-Owned Business Award: U.S. Hero's,  Orlando , Fla.

In addition, SCORE Awards will be given to key corporate small business advocates in the following categories:

·          Corporate Small Business Supporter of the Year: American Express OPEN

·          Corporate Small Business Advocate of the Year: Ernst and Young

Each year, SCORE recognizes outstanding volunteerism on behalf of both SCORE and the small business community through its  Lou Campanelli  Award. The SCORE Foundation is pleased to present the 2009  Lou Campanelli  Award to Barbara Kasoff, president and co-founder of Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), a national bipartisan public policy organization that advocates for and on behalf of women and minorities in business.

The SCORE Foundation Executive Director  Mark Dobosz  says, "SCORE is proud to launch an event that will recognize and celebrate the people and businesses that fuel affirmative and meaningful economic and social progress. We intend that it serve as a catalyst for other small businesses to emulate our honoree's success stories. "

High-profile sponsorship opportunities in support of the SCORE Awards, including category naming rights, are available. For more information on available opportunities, call  Lisa DiBenedetto  at 703/506-2015.  

About SCORE : Since 1964, SCORE "Counselors to  America 's Small Business" has helped more than 8.4 million aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners through counseling and business workshops. More than 11,200 volunteer business counselors in 370 chapters serve their communities through entrepreneur education dedicated to the formation, growth and success of small businesses.

For more information about starting or operating a small business, call 1-800/634-0245 for the SCORE chapter nearest you. Visit SCORE on the Web at www.score.org.

About The SCORE Foundation : The mission of The SCORE Foundation is to support and leverage the work of SCORE by soliciting, investing and managing resources for the benefit of SCORE. Learn more about The SCORE Foundation at www.scorefoundation.org .