Giraffe Heroes Database
Letter "R"
Entries beginning with "R"
Scarlett Rabalais of Houston TX left a successful career to start Hot Diggety Dog, a string of food stands employing only seniors and the disabled. Rabalais had to battle to change ordinances in town after town to allow for the open-air carts, each employing three people at a decent wage. She's kept stands open even when they don't turn a profit.
Home when commended: North America, US, Texas Home now: North America, US, Texas Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Lisa Radelet and Steve Haberman of Milwaukee WI left well-paying jobs to work without salaries for the abolition of capital punishment. Despite death threats, the couple founded the Justice and Mercy Project, using drama, lectures and workshops to advocate against the death sentence in Texas, the state with the most prisoners on Death Row.
Home when commended: North America, US, Texas Home now: North America, US, Colorado Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Radelet, Lisa and Steve Haberman Steve Haberman and Lisa Radelet of Milwaukee WI left well-paying jobs to work without salaries for the abolition of capital punishment. Despite death threats, the couple founded the Justice and Mercy Project, using drama, lectures and workshops to advocate against the death sentence in Texas, the state with the most prisoners on Death Row.
Home when commended: North America, US, Wisconsin Home now: North America, US, Wisconsin Gender: C (couple) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Meenakshi Raman of Penang, Malaysia, as cofounder of her country's first public-interest law firm, offers legal aid to minorities, tenant farmers and politically unpopular clients. When Raman represented villagers whose land was being contaminated by the Malaysian government, she was tossed in jail for 47 days. Upon release she took up the case again.
Home when commended: Asia, Malaysia Home now: Asia, Malaysia Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Marie Ramirez of San Diego CA works for a Navy contractor that she has accused of sex discrimination and of exposing workers to highly toxic PCBs. Determined to stop these practices, she persisted in her claims, despite attempts to have her fired on false charges and assignments designed to pressure her to quit. (See also Alton Bennett and Tim Reid)
Home when commended: North America, US, California Home now: North America, US, California Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Dick Randall of Rock Springs WY risked his place in the community and endured anonymous death threats for blowing the whistle on cruel, wasteful and unnecessary predator-control techniques. A former predator-control officer for the Fish and Wildlife Service, Randall's testimony before Congress shocked legislators into reforming FWS policies.
Home when commended: North America, US, Wyoming Home now: North America, US, Wyoming Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Dina Rasor of El Centro CA founded the Project on Military Procurement as a channel for Defense Department personnel who wanted to expose misconduct in their offices without exposing themselves to retribution.
Home when commended: North America, US, California Home now: North America, US, California Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Botanist Bargyla Rateaver of San Diego CA battled for 20 years to get organic agriculture classes included in the California university system. Shunned by her peers for years, she is now considered the "mother of the US organic movement."
Home when commended: North America, US, California Home now: North America, US, California Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Ann and Doug Rathbone were so grateful that great medical care cured their son of leukemia, they committed to raise 500,000 Australian dollars for families who could not afford such care. They also lobby government agencies for more assistance to families whose kids have cancer, and provide support themselves to the families.
Home when commended: Australia Home now: Australia Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Doug and Ann Rathbone were so grateful that great medical care cured their son of leukemia, they committed to raise 500,000 Australian dollars for families who could not afford such care. They also lobby government agencies for more assistance to families whose kids have cancer, and provide support themselves to the families.
Home when commended: Australia Home now: Australia Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Doug and Ann Rathbone were so grateful that great medical care cured their son of leukemia, they committed to raise 500,000 Australian dollars for families who could not afford such care. They also lobby government agencies for more assistance to families whose kids have cancer, and provide support themselves to the families.
Home when commended: Australia Home now: Australia Gender: C (couple) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Dallas Read of Chevy Chase MD has questioned conventional wisdom, challenged authority, and championed the common good for over half a century. Whether the risk was to her job, freedom, or social standing, she has consistently swung into action to oppose injustice and malfeasance.
Home when commended: North America, US, Maryland Home now: North America, US, Maryland Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Byron Real-Lopez, an attorney in Quito, Equador, was brave enough to partner with one of the few female lawyers in that country, Marcela Enriquez-Vasquez. Working on a shoestring budget, Enriquez-Vasquez and Real-Lopez sacrificed their professional futures when they filed the first environmental suit against the federal government. The suit stopped oil drilling in a national park that is home to an indigenous tribe.
Home when commended: South America, Ecuador Home now: South America, Ecuador Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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When he was elected mayor of Harrisburg PA, Stephen Reed ignored widespread opposition to cleaning up the second-most distressed city in the US. Mayor Reed eliminated patronage, and pushed creative municipal projects that turned the city into the second-highest-rated city in the eastern US for investment and growth.
Home when commended: North America, US, Pennsylvania Home now: North America, US, Pennsylvania Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Smith College professor Eric Reeves put his house, job and personal safety on the line to tell the world about the government of Sudan's abuse of its citizens. He speaks and writes about the slavery, genocide, terrorism and scorched-earth practices perpetuated by Sudan's National Islamic front and funded by multinational oil developers that operate in the country.
Home when commended: North America, US, Massachusetts Home now: North America, US, Massachusetts Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Martin Reichgut MD of Westport CT risked his own medical practice by dedicating his time and energy to a program for ghetto teens in his hometown. Reichgut raised $250,000 to get the program off and running.
Home when commended: North America, US, Connecticut Home now: North America, US, Connecticut Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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From time to time, Ann Medlock, this Project's founder, does a brief but inspiring email called Heads Up. You can check out past copies here. They're so good (and so free) we bet you'll join the Heads Up circle and send them on to friends & family.
For further wit & wisdom from Ann, check out her speeches, radio commentaries and OpEds.
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