Success & Service: Two valley papers win awards for 2012

Two local newspapers were among the 10 winners of McClatchy Newspapers President's Awards in the community newspaper division for their work in 2012.

Vida en el Valle, a bilingual weekly, won four prizes. The paper took first place in the special-projects category for its exhaustive look at valley fever, a long- ignored illness on the rise in the San Joaquin Valley. It also finished first in the news category for its series profiling four Latinos active in the environmental movement.

Vida took second-place awards in features and sports.

The Los Banos Enterprise, a weekly published by the Merced Sun-Star, picked up two prizes. The paper took first in Sports for its moving account of the first at-bat of the season for Cesar Orozco, an autistic, 18-year-old member of his high school baseball team.

The Enterprise claimed second place in photography for two dramatic high school football action shots.

Toyota dealerships in Modesto and Merced are among those participating in fund-raising effort for regional chapters of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Make-A-Wish provides trips and other amenities to children with life-threatening medical conditions. Through the end of 2013, customers and visitors to the dealerships are encouraged to donate $10 to Make-A-Wish at their local Northern California and Central Valley Toyota dealerships in exchange for a $20 voucher toward a future service or installed Toyota accessory.

The money will go to Make-A-Wish, and every $7,500 will grant one child's wish.

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