Bay Area Atheists honor Alameda Mayor Ralph Appezzato
March 7, 2002
Mayor Ralph Appezzato of Alameda, a devout Catholic, put his political career on the line to lead a successful fight to eliminate religious invocations at his City Council meetings. When American Atheists California awarded him the “First Amendment” award on March 7, 2002, Mayor Appezzato surprised everyone by stating that Atheists were the nicest group he worked with in his difficult months-long battle. American Atheists California State Director Dave Kong's speech lauded the mayor for his valiant stance.