The story made people across the country gasp in horror.
   After seeking help from an "abortion alternatives" center, a 16-year-old girl and her 17-year-old boyfriend felt their best alternative to end the girl's pregnancy was to beat her stomach with a small baseball bat over a period of weeks. The teens said they had not wanted to alert their parents.
   On May 20, 2007 the Macomb County NOW Chapter and President Diane Russell received the state organization's Doris Little Action Award for their role in creating a community conversation around an incident that drew forces from both sides of the choice debate. They brought together the ACLU, attorneys and parents of the young people who, in Russell's words, "made a bad decision."    She said the chapter did a lot of work on the project, which fits well with the award's namesake.
   Doris Little, as a leader in the Macomb County NOW chapter, successfully confronted the Macomb Daily newspaper, Macomb County officials and other groups on issues of equality. She worked to raise the consciousness of her entire community about feminist issues.
  
Other honors presented during the May 20 Michigan NOW conference, held at Oakland Community College's Orchard Ridge campus in Farmington Hills:
 
Young Feminist Award - Marisol Ybarra, who organized students at Wayne State University to rally for reproductive rights and brings young feminists together.

Legislator of the Year Award - State Rep. Kathleen Law, who was a local elected official when the Downriver NOW chapter approached her to run for higher office. She urged conference attendees to pay close attention to this November's ballot issues, particularly the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative
 
Susan Gold Award - Samantha Hardenburgh, a student program coordinator with the SAFE program for gays and lesbians on Oakland University's campus.

Reproductive Rights Award - Katey Aquilina, a Planned Parenthood community organizer who fights for choice and women's reproductive freedoms on a daily basis.