Ladies and gentlemen, it is with self-appointed delight and true humility that I come to you today in order to serve as a cyber-emcee of sorts for the greatest awards presentation that I know. For the longest time one of my daily stops in "my morning reading" each day has been a website called "Beliefnet.com." I try not to miss it often, as it seems to help set my course and trim my sails for the trials that lie just ahead.

Beliefnet.com has just revealed this year's top 10 finalists for "The 2009 Most Inspirational Person" and, while voting is now taking place, let me first assure you there is no way a rational human being could possibly chose one nominee over another. Each nominee is a giant who walks among us and I offer the list not as a contest but rather as evidence to the fact there are hundreds of others who could also be among those now being considered.

So, with due fanfare, please let me introduce 10 examples of people you probably never heard of until most recently with the undeniable promise that, in the year 2010, there will be another 10 who step from the veil of anonymity to take their place.

This year's nominees (drum roll) are:

CHESLEY "SULLY" SULLENBERGER: He will forever be known as "The Hero of the Hudson" for the way he skillfully saved 155 persons when he landed a stricken airliner, US Airways Flight 1549, in New York's Hudson River. His skill, his calm, and his devotion are now known all over the world. Yet today he himself asks, "What is it about this event that has made people feel the way they do about the event, about themselves, and about me?" His answer? "I think the answer has to be that something about this gave people hope. It reassured them that good could still happen in the world. It was life-affirming."

DANNY COTTRELL: He's "just a pharmacist" in tiny Brewton, Ala., but when the economy flattened, he came up with a novel idea. He gave all 24 of his employees a bonus. That's right, every fulltime worker got $700 in cash and every part-time worker got $350. The catch? Each bonus was paid in $2 bills. Each employee then was asked to give 15 percent to charity, or someone in need, and then spend the rest - in $2 bills - at local businesses. Guess what? There are still a lot of $2 bills being used by people all over south Alabama to "pay it forward." Said Mr. Cottrell, "Aw, I just wanted to help my employees and I wanted to help the town and I wanted to help people in need. I think we've managed to do all of that."

KALEB EULLS: As one of the most widely-sought football stars in Mississippi, the high school senior was still sleepy during in the pre-dawn bus ride to school when suddenly a fellow student pulled a .38-caliber handgun and threatened to kill those aboard. He calmly stood in harm's way while directing the other children to exit out the rear door. After defusing the crisis down to just himself and the driver, here's what happened next: "I just tried to calm her down and get the gun away from her and she refused. So I just tried to get her attention, and as she blinked for a second, I just lunged at her." No one was hurt and Caleb has committed to play next year at Mississippi State.

ZACK BONER: For the past six years, he has worked tirelessly for homeless children. A native of Tampa, his mantra is so simple it is startling: "No matter how old or how young, how rich or how poor, you can always make a difference. Whether you donate a dollar or a hundred dollars, it all adds up." His efforts have also benefitted hurricane victims, boys' and girls' clubs, but his main thrust is homeless kids, where there are now 1.3 million in America and 13 of those die each day. "When we do the projects, we get to interact with the kids. You get to see the joy on their faces. It makes everything worth it, all the hard work." And, yes, you'll notice Mr. Bonner is young himself -- he most recently celebrated his 12th birthday.

THE WEDDING DANCE: Just before Jill Peterson and Kevin Kline were to be married in Minnesota in June, they rehearsed the processional in the church by playing the hip-hop tune, "Forever," by singer Chris Brown. It resulted in five minutes and 10 seconds of such joy it ended up on the Internet's YouTube and, to date, over 31 million viewers have shared it. Not only that, the tape's fame spurred Mr. and Mrs. Heinz to turn it into a vehicle to thwart domestic violence and -- presto -- today over $15,000 has been donated to the Sheila Wellstone Institute. Said Jill, "I loved dance as a way to express yourself and share joy so it was something that I always thought about doing." Said Kevin, "I am just glad I didn't hurt myself!"

JORGE MUNOZ: He's a school-bus driver in Queens, a modest man by New York City standards, but every day he provides hundreds of meals for the homeless out of the back of his pickup truck. Neither cold nor rain nor the darkness of night can keep him from "being there," each and every day for, what?, now over five years running. "I think God has given me this to do. Every day, when I get up, I pray to God and say thanks a lot because I have a bed, hot coffee, something to wear. These guys, they do not have that. Most of them, they are by themselves." Isn't it hard? Doesn't he get tired? His answer is, "Got some leftovers? Don't throw it away. Put it on a plate and bring it to somebody on the corner. Get them a cup of coffee. When you see their faces, when they smile, you're going to see a difference. You do a great thing for them." And, yes, Mr. Munoz came to America as an illegal alien from South America.

MAJOR GRIFFETH & CAPT. ILLINGWORTH: Ah, now here's a pair -- he's a rabid Texas football fan and she's a die-hard Sooner but the two officers, stationed in Afghanistan with the Air Force, have used the "Red River Rivalry" itself as a vehicle to spur a "contest" between the fans of the two schools. Each soldier gets a "point" for every box of warm clothing, socks or school supplies either receives for the poor Afghan people. So far Tobin has a slight edge but Katie is assured of an exciting finish. "We started this because it's the right thing to do. In a war where we'll spend millions on bombs or missiles, it only makes sense to spend money on clothes, or socks," said the Major while the Captain added, "This is a way we can help better the lives of the Afghan people. I think this project can be far-reaching and have great results."

PAUL LEVY: At first glance you see where Paul Levy is today one of those now-detested CEOs, a silk-stockinged sort of guy making over a million bucks a year who runs the huge Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. But wait a minute. When he was faced with cutting 700 jobs due to the recession, he brilliantly formed "town meetings" of the complex's doctors, nurses, "pencil pushers, "pill pushers" and "broom pushers" to figure a better way. A lot of the top-salaried, including himself, took pay cuts and they "pushed" so hard that only 70 jobs were eliminated. Later he said, "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you--all the rest is just commentary. It's a code to live by, and if you behave that way, the world will be better a place because other people will behave that way back."

MICHAEL J. FOX: Yes, you've heard he has Parkinson's disease. For the last 30 years you've heard it. But with this year's new book, "Always Looking Up: The Adventures of An Incurable Optimist," this genius has added a renewed infusion of hope to millions and, thus far, he's turned his affliction into raising $154 million for research for the disease. Still calloused? Then listen: "I often say now I don't have any choice whether or not I have Parkinson's, but, surrounding that 'non-choice' is a million other choices that I can make . . . These are new choices and they lead to amazing places." Need another fresh view? "For everything that's taken away, something of greater value has been given. As big as my problems are, as big as Parkinson's is, for example, it can't take up that much space in a world that has so much capacity for good stuff. It just doesn't. I just don't let it take up that much room."

THE IRANIAN PROTESTERS: When Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was "elected" to a second term as Iran's President in June, hundreds of thousands of that country's protesters decried the rampant corruption. Calling themselves marchers towards "The Green Path of Hope," many were killed, beaten, jailed and tortured but, as an estimated 75 died in just the first three months, those hundreds of thousands remain undeterred. "I am fed up with the rigging of votes," said Nargess Hassanpour, a 24-year-old architect when he was quoted in the Los Angeles Times. "I am here and I march toward Azadi (Freedom) Square as far as I can reach, and let come what may." So, yes, even those from a country where American troops have died are also here, and for the same reason.

Ladies and gentleman, I present to you Beliefnet.com's nominees for "The Most Inspirational Person of 2009," and, as I do so, permit me to say it is the most profound hope of each one that next year, when a new class is presented, you - yes, you - will take your rightful place on the glittering dais. You can do it.

royexum@aol.com