Chris Evans to receive award previously given to Jeff Bezos
The Captain America actor, Chris Evans, along with his partners Mark Kassen and Joe Kiani, will receive the Spirit of Service Award from the Partnership for Public Service. This prestigious honor, previously bestowed upon leaders like Jeff Bezos and Michael Bloomberg, recognizes their work with A Starting Point. This non-profit platform aims to empower a more informed and engaged citizenry by fostering communication between the public and elected officials.
A Starting Point: Evans's civic engagement initiative
In 2020, Evans, Kassen, and Kiani co-founded A Starting Point. This video-based platform aims "to create a bipartisan channel of communication and connectivity between Americans and their elected officials with the goal of creating a more informed electorate." The organization provides updates on key political issues to primarily educate high school and college-aged youth about government operations. They tackle hot-button issues like the Supreme Court and D.C. statehood, aiming to foster informed and engaged citizens.
Award recipients expressed gratitude for recognition
In response to the award announcement, Evans, Kassen, and Kiani expressed their gratitude to the Partnership for Public Service. They stated they are "so proud" of their team at A Starting Point and are "truly humbled for ASP to receive this recognition alongside so many incredible federal employees who share the same goal within the government." Earlier, Evans explained in an interview, his motivation to engage people in America's democracy by encouraging greater civic involvement.
More about the recognition and the ceremony
The Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals, affectionately known as the "Sammies" and dubbed as the "Oscars of public service" in certain circles, has selected 25 finalists this year from over 500 nominations spanning five categories. The award ceremony is scheduled to take place on September 11 at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. This honor recognizes individuals outside government who contribute significantly toward a better government and a stronger democracy.
