LEWISTON – Maine Initiatives, a grassroots fund for change, will honor Lewiston and Auburn leaders at its annual Watering Can Awards Celebration.

Maine Initiatives’ 2009 Watering Can Awards Celebration will be held at Bates College on Wednesday evening, June 17. The awards will go to Kevin and Judy Simpson, Sheikh Mohamed and the Visible Community.

The Simpsons, an Auburn couple, have been active in a wide range of issues, including peace, the environment, universal health care and workers’ rights. They are the parents of state Sen. Deb Simpson.

Sheikh Mohamed, a refugee who moved to the area in 2005, has since become a leading voice for the Somali-Bantu community.

The Visible Community, an organization that formed when Lewiston residents learned that plans were under way to put a highway through their downtown neighborhood, continues to take action for downtown preservation and redevelopment.

Maine Initiatives, a foundation that funds grassroots organizing for social justice, hosts its annual awards night to honor community leaders throughout the state.

“We honor homegrown leaders and unsung heroes,” said Charlie Bernstein, the fund’s executive director. “They’re the people that make change happen, and change is what Maine Initiatives is about.”

The Watering Can Awards embody Maine Initiatives’ motto: “Water to the roots, and plenty of it!”

The event will be held in the New Commons building at Bates College. The evening will begin at 5 p.m. with a social hour and will feature food, refreshments and live music by the Bald Hill Trio. The lead sponsor is the Maine Health Access Foundation.

For more information or to make reservations, call 622-6294 or visit www.maineinitiatives.org.