Byron Sher wins humanitarian award Byron Sher wins humanitarian award (August 18, 2004)

State Sen. Byron Sher will be honored as a longtime champion of the environment at the ninth annual Josephine and Frank Duveneck Humanitarian Awards Dinner on September 18 at Hidden Villa in Los Altos Hills.

"During his tenure in public office, Byron has given voice to many of our state's and region's critical social and political causes," said Tom Livermore, president of the Board of Trustees of Hidden Villa.

The annual fundraising awards dinner recognizes outstanding humanitarians and benefits Hidden Villa's innovative environmental and multicultural education programs, a spokeswoman said.

Sen. Sher chairs the state senate's Environmental Quality Committee and the Budget Subcommittee on Resources, Environmental Protection, Public Safety and Energy. He is the author of many landmark laws protecting California's environment, including the California Clean Air Act, the Integrated Waste Management Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act.

This year's other honorees are Steven and Michele Kirsch, Silicon Valley philanthropists, and naturalist Keith Gutierrez, who has worked with Hidden Villa for more than 20 years. The presenter is TV journalist Emerald Yeh.

Money raised at the annual dinners supports programs at the 1,600-acre organic farm and wilderness preserve and funds scholarships to the multicultural summer camp and experiential environmental education programs.

For information about the event, call 949-9702 by September 1. Additional information is available online at HiddenVilla.org.

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