Rescuer of Humanity Awards Dinner

About the Awards & Our Honorees

Event Details

2013 Sponsorship Levels & Ticket Information

Please contact Project Love at 440.442.5683 for more information

PAST DINNERS & HONOREES:

The Rescuer of Humanity Award recognizes and honors an individual or an organization of national or international stature, that has chosen to use their leadership beyond professional or institutional requirements to positively change the course of humanity.

Dr. Lee Ponsky (right), Founder, MedWish International, accepts the 2011 Rescuer of Humanity Award.

Prior recipients of the Rescuer of Humanity Award include Homes for Our Troops, Paul Rusesabagina, Paper Clips Project, Doctors Without Borders, Christopher Reeve and Playing for Peace, Trevor Ferrell and Dr. Bernie Siegel, Brandon Silveria and President George W. Bush, Peter Yarrow, Donna Dees Thomas and Mary Leigh Blek, His Majesty King Hussein I of Jordan and Aaron Feurerstein, Archbishop Henryk Muszynski and Tammie Schnitzer, Rosa Parks, Craig Kielberger, President Jimmy Carter, Steven Spielberg, Dr. Jeffrey Wigand and the New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project and Tom Cruise.

The Malden Mills Corporate Kindness Awardrecognizes and honors corporate leaders who best exemplify the values demonstrated by Malden Mills CEO Aaron Feuerstein.  Malden Mills suffered a devastating fire in 1999 that destroyed much of its operations. Rather than layoff employees, Feuerstein chose to keep the employees on payroll with benefits until the mills could be rebuilt.  His decision, based on kindness, principles and values, not only benefited his employees, but also showed his commitment to his community.

Paul Clark (right), Regional President, PNC, accepts the 2011 Malden Mills Corporate Kindness Award.

Prior recipients of the Malden Mills Award include Thomas F. Zenty III, Fred C. Rothstein, MD, Ed Davidson, Dan Austin, Alan Schonberg, Jack Kahl, David and Ann Brennan, Sam Miller, Vince and Joe Aveni, Michael Siegal, Scott Wolstein and Henry L. Meyer III and William Christopher.

Awards are also given to students, educators and community members. Nominations are taken annually for the following awards:

Alan R. Schonberg Community Rescuer Awards are given to individuals who have chosen to make a positive difference in their communities by helping people overcome obstacles, by building bridges between people, by diffusing violence or meanness, or by encouraging and fostering community organizations that do the same. These individuals may be in leadership or behind the scenes positions in organizations of any size.

Ilana Hoffer Skoff (second from right) and Mia Buchwald Gelles (far right)accept the Alan R. Schonberg Community Rescuer Award on behalf of Milestones Autism Organization.

Gordon E. Heffern Award for Values, Ethics and Community recognizes and honors a community leader who leads with values, ethics and responsibility.

Ratanjit Sonde accepts the 2011 Gordon E. Heffern Award.

Close-Caputo Educator of Humanity Award, named after educators Carole Close and Charlie Caputo, recognizes educators who have shown an intense commitment to educating and developing students of character who model the principles of kindness, caring and mutual respect. Recipients are acknowledged as role models of these values, and inspire those values in students.

Coach Tyrone White (center), St. Ignatius High School, accepts the Close-Caputo Educator of Humanity Award.

Vedem Student Leadership Award is named after the Czech publication Vedem ("In The Lead"), which was secretly published each week by 13-15 year old boys at Thereisenstadt concentration camp. The award recognizes students who take a leadership role in motivating their peers to build a culture of kindness, caring and respect wherever they go. Their leadership activities need not be limited to traditional school organizations.

Kristin Whaley of Cuyahoga Falls High School accepts the 2011 Vedem Student Leadership Award.

The Eric Russell Student Kindness Award recognizes students who consistently demonstrate kindness, caring and mutual respect in interactions with adults and peers. This award is named for Eric Scott Russell, a talented bright young man, who embraced Project Love programming after an incident which caused him public humiliation. Despite the efforts of some to turn the incident into a media frenzy focused on racial tension, Eric decided to use what he learned to turn the experience into an opportunity for increased kindness, growth and integrity at his school. The world lost this kind young man to meningitis in December of 2002. It is Project Love's hope that Eric's memory and the example he set among his peers will be a perpetual inspiration to other teens.

Rachel Fridley of Niles McKinley High School accepts the 2011 Eric Scott Russell Student Kindness Award.

In addition to honoring these fine individuals, the event also raises funds for Project Love's student seminar programs.