2026 Russ Berrie Making a Difference Award
Announcing the 2026 Honorees
For three decades, the Making a Difference Award has reminded us that some of the most powerful people in our state are those who serve quietly, persistently, and often without recognition.
2026 marks the 30th anniversary and the final year of the Russ Berrie Making a Difference Award.
To celebrate this milestone, 30 awards will be presented in two categories: Gen Z Making a Difference, and Growing the Ripple of Positive Change.
We are proud to welcome these Honorees who will join the exceptional community of 450+Honorees recognized since 1997. Each of them has a story of courage, compassion, and commitment to others.
Gen Z Making a Difference Award
We pass the torch to the next generation of changemakers who are already making a tremendous impact across New Jersey. These young leaders are committed to challenging inequities and solving problems with compassion, courage, and innovation.
Kavin Arora
Aidan Barth & Abigail Franco
Sylvia Brown
Spencer Chaisanguanthum
Ava Costa
Giuliana Demma
Ezra Fineman
Landon Hoberman
Rashanna James-Frison
Aliza Lopez
Lakita Lloyd
Alias Ragsdale
Eddi Raymond
Sri Nihal Tammana
Erielys Vicente
Grow the Ripple of Positive Change Award
Transformational Leadership Award
Community Changemaker Award
Katelyn Baker
Dr. Lawrence M. Boyd, III
Ronsha Dickerson
Susan Long
Mona Patel
Louis Quinones
Dr. Alice Terrell-Bryant
Exceptional Volunteer Award
Christine Baugh
Kathleen Lynn
Terry McMillian
Beatriz Rodriguez
Paul Shackford
Making a Difference
Established in 1997 by the late Russell Berrie, and managed and hosted by Ramapo College of New Jersey, the Russ Berrie Making a Difference Award honors Garden State residents whose outstanding community service and heroic acts have made a substantial impact on the lives of others.
Learn more about this unique award and the impact it’s had for nearly 30 years.
Past Honorees
From the Blog
The work of our past honorees, who have tackled important issues, continues to make profound differences for NJ residents. Learn more about these remarkable individuals through their stories.
Shining the Light on New Jersey’s Gen Z Changemakers—Honorees Who Made a Difference at a Young Age
As the Making a Difference Award shifts to recognize Gen Z leaders in 2026, we look back at some Honorees whose work to improve communities and the lives of NJ residents began in their teens or college years.
Saranne Rothberg: Meeting Cancer Head-On with Humor
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the perfect time to shine our light on Saranne Rothberg, a 2003 Making a Difference Award Honoree. A stage IV triple negative breast cancer survivor, Saranne founded ComedyCures in 1999 after her cancer diagnosis.
Meet Lewis Spears: Transforming Lives Among Jersey City’s Youth at Risk
As a middle school teacher, Lewis Spears saw so many young men failing to thrive and barely surviving school. They were being disciplined, detained and suspended, and doing poorly academically, stuck in a cycle without positive opportunities for their future. He set out to change that when he launched Kismet of Kings in 2013.
Recent Press & Media
