Three of the Madison area’s unsung heroes got their place in the spotlight Tuesday evening at Monona Terrace.

The occasion was the 40th anniversary celebration of Community Shares of Wisconsin, the organization that raises funds through workplace giving and from individual donors for what now are 63 different area nonprofits.

Every year, Community Shares singles out three people who have gone above and beyond in working for social justice and equal opportunities. More than 250 turned out for this year’s event at Monona Terrace.

Susie Earley, who has volunteered for Fair Wisconsin the past several years, was named the winner of the Linda Sundberg Civil Rights Defender Award for her tireless work for equality.

Bobby Peterson received the Sally Sunde Family Advocate Award for his work in founding ABC for Health, the nonprofit that strives to find health care for people who can’t get health insurance. In recent months, he has been at the forefront at protecting BadgerCare and Medicaid from budget cuts.

The annual Liesl Blockstein Community Leadership Award went to Gricel Santiago-Rivera, who has devoted much of her law practice to representing victims of domestic violence, donating much of her time to those victims.

The event also included the premier showing of a documentary depicting the 40-year history of Community Shares.

Area businesses and government entities provide payroll deduction for Community Shares, which is in the midst of its annual fundraising campaign.