They went above and beyond the average volunteer. They fought domestic violence. They organized and led medical missions to foreign countries. They tried to make life easier for victims of child arthritis.

Each of the two women and three men chosen in Hawai'i hold one thing in common: They never asked for a thank you. This year's winners, selected from a pool of 12 volunteers for the Jefferson Award are: Loretta Sheehan, Dr. Ramon Sy, Masaichi Tasaka, Rachel Ariola and Russell Chun.

Created 34 years ago by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Sen. Robert Taft Jr. and Sam Beard, the award represents a who's who of outstanding Americans.

One person from Hawai'i will go to Washington, D.C., in June, along with others selected in their communities. At the national level, five winners will be chosen for their volunteerism. Over the years, honorees have included first ladies Barbara Bush and Rosalynn Carter; former secretary of state Colin Powell; entertainer Bob Hope; and Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

"The five people are really good," said Basilo Fuertes, a retired Kaua'i school teacher who was chosen last year to represent the state as a Jefferson awardee in Washington, D.C. "They all volunteer in so many different ways in their community. Volunteers fill in the gaps of life."

In Hawai'i, the Jefferson Awards are sponsored by The Honolulu Advertiser and KGMB television.

The recipients will be recognized at luncheon ceremonies Wednesday at the Pacific Club. At the luncheon, the recipient who will represent the state at the national ceremonies in Washington will be named.

"We looked for people whose work touched a number of lives in terms of the influence of their actions," said Vicky Cayetano, former Hawai'i first lady. "What strikes me about these five is that their work is global."

The winners were nominated by friends, neighbors, family or colleagues for their outstanding work for the good of others.

The 2007 Jefferson Award winners:

RACHEL ARIOLA

Faced with a challenge, Rachel Ariola throws her whole body and soul into it.

Her fight began seven years ago with a call from the school nurse that her son Ryan couldn't turn his neck and his jaw was locked. After endless doctors visits, she was told her son had juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, an auto-immune disease in which the immune system begins to attack healthy cells and tissues, and juvenile dermatomyositis, a disorder caused by inflammation associated with the muscles.

Determined to understand everything about the disease, she works as a volunteer for the Arthritis Foundation. She's taken her family and shared their story with Hawai'i congressmen, urging support of the Arthritis Prevention, Control and Cure Act that would support health and education programs.

She joined the Arthritis Foundation's board of directors in 2004.

Ariola's tireless effort led Susan Milton, executive director of the Arthritis Foundation Hawai'i Chapter, to nominate her for the Nobel Prize of community service.

"Rachel is one of the most amazing people I've ever known," Milton said. "She came on as a volunteer working with the kids suffering from arthritis. She became very passionate with the cause. She's so driven to help people with arthritis that she goes above and beyond.

"She just blows me away."

Today her son is still in remission — a gift, said the 42-year-old Ariola.

"It's my joy and pleasure to give back to the community and to others who are still wishing and waiting for a cure," Ariola said. "I know that I am making a difference."

RUSSELL CHUN

Volunteering comes easy for Chun. He sees a need and fills it.

Need volunteers to serve a holiday meal for Meals on Wheels? Chun can recruit them for you. Need turkeys and the trimmings? Call Chun.

"I connect a lot of people who need resources and with resources," said the 59-year-old Chun. "It's easy. I enjoy it. For me, it's a recreational activity. You get blessed when you can help someone. There are lots of different ways you can get fulfilled."

Chun, a general manager of the Miramar Hotel in Waikiki, is the at-large director of the Hawai'i Hotel & Lodging Association, chairman of the O'ahu Workforce Investment Board and a board member of Real Choices Hawai'i and the Lanakila Rehabilitation Center Foundation.

He got his start in volunteering by watching his parents help others. His mother would translate for new immigrants and his dad helped kids at the YMCA. Armed with that philosophy, Chun launched his own adventure in Malaysia, where he spent 15 years doing missionary work helping young adults and their families.

"He works so very hard with our holiday Meals on Wheels," said Marian Tsuji, Lanakila Rehabilitation Center chief executive officer. "And it's a holiday. A lot of people come out then and want to give back, but Russell makes it really fun. We have so many returning volunteers because of him.

"He just does this quietly and on his own. Just a gift from his heart."

Chun takes the approach that if you want to accomplish something, you'll make the time. He wants to help kids and seniors. So he has worked with Hospice Hawai'i Children's Bereavement Program as a volunteer for the past seven years and the Lanakila Meals on Wheels Holiday Program for the past six years. He also helped deliver used bed and bath items with the help of the International Executive Housekeepers Association Hawai'i Chapters to various groups around town.

"If you want to do something, you make the time," Chun said. "My first love is helping and working with children. You just learn to fit things in."

LORETTA SHEEHAN

Domestic violence isn't something to keep quiet about, says Loretta Sheehan. As a volunteer for the Domestic Violence Clearinghouse and Legal Hotline, Sheehan has a goal to change people's perception from thinking domestic violence is a private affair to realizing it is everyone's problem.

The seed of inspiration was Sheehan's mother, who once stood up to her sister's abusive husband.

"From there on, I learned that when people support one another in their truth, miracles can happen," said the 46-year-old Sheehan. "The things you think are impossible can turn into reality."

Sheehan, an assistant U.S. attorney, said she began to volunteer at the clearinghouse when she worked at the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney for Honolulu. She was a trial attorney in the domestic violence branch and was promoted to supervisor in the career criminal branch. That's where she met Nanci Kreidman, executive director of the Domestic Violence Clearinghouse and Legal Hotline.

Kreidman said she nominated Sheehan as a way to highlight all the good work Sheehan has done to fight domestic violence. Organizations depend on the undaunting efforts of volunteers, Kreidman said.

"I wanted Loretta to feel good about her work," Kreidman said. "It's a precious gift. And as an organizer, I'm always looking for new ways to let people know they are appreciated. Maybe some in the community will be inspired to volunteer and help out."

Sheehan works with Kreidman in the regular Breakfast Briefing Series that educates women about intimate partner abuse and regularly provides training to the staff attorneys.

"I'm really trying to change the attitude," Sheehan said. "Women are going to have to solve the domestic violence problem themselves in terms of prevention and changing people's attitudes."

DR. RAMON SY

Nearly a quarter of a century ago, Dr. Ramon Sy left Hawai'i on his first medical mission.

He and six other doctors from Hawai'i helped out a small village in the Philippines with free medical services. From that one mission, Sy launched Aloha Medical Missions, a group of volunteers who spread aloha and medical services around the globe.

Sy, 74, has been on as many as four missions a year to places like Myanmar, Vietnam, China, Laos and Cambodia.

Doctors and nurses from Hawai'i have participated in about 75 Aloha Medical Missions trips, seen more than 190,000 patients, and performed more than 9,000 surgeries in the group's 24-year history.

Sy was the president of the board for 22 years, said Butch Dela Cruz, Aloha Medical Missions executive director.

"He brought the organization from a small group of doctors to something that is well known around the world," Dela Cruz said. "What has emerged is a humanitarian organization that's treated nearly 200,000 patients in 11 countries."

Sy said: "We have people come from all over the country, joining us to different places. Now we have nine missions a year. This year we've already had four missions: Laos, twice to the Philippines and Vietnam. It's fun work."

This year, for the first time, Aloha Medical Missions teamed up with the Polynesian Voyaging Society on a precedent-setting venture. Four teams, each with a half-dozen volunteer doctors, nurses and lay people, flew to Ponhpei, Chuuk and Yap for a medical mission.

"You get a different feeling helping others," Sy said. When you go on a mission, you hope you can do everything to help them. Sometimes you cannot. It's very difficult to describe. It's like a disease and you want to go more."

The missions are "no vacation," Cayetano said. "They're a lot of work and a lot of sacrifice combined with tough conditions to work and live under in a foreign country."

MASAICHI TASAKA

From chief executive officer of Kuakini Health Systems to chairman of the board at Lanakila Rehabilitation Center, Masaichi Tasaka has always been a leader, someone who offers guidance and a friendly reminder to stay on task.

At 82, he shows no sign of slowing down.

"I try to keep healthy like anyone else," Tasaka said. "I do a little exercise and golf twice a week. On Sundays, my wife and I have a ritual. We go to Ala Moana Beach Park and she walks and I ride the bike. That's part of my exercise."

Tasaka has been the Lanakila chairman for three of the last 15 years he's been on the board of directors, said Marian Tsuji, Lanakila chief executive officer. Lanakila is a nonprofit organization that provides services to adults with disabilities.

"He is what every octogenarian wants to be," Tsuji said. "I should have half his energy when I get that old. He's a leader and a thinker. I have trouble tracking him down because he's so involved with so many different community organizations."

Tasaka gives his time to the Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce; the Japanese Cultural Center; the Caring for Life Foundation; the Palolo Chinese Home golf tournament; and the Lions Club.

"At Lanakila, we've gone through our ups and downs here," Tasaka said.

"At the moment, we're in a good position to look forward and see what we can do for the future."

Reach Suzanne Roig at sroig@honoluluadvertiser.com.