Ronald McDonald House Charities® Annual 'Awards of Excellence' Gala To Feature All Star Line-Up Including Celine Dion, Enrique Iglesias, Josh Groban, Nita Whitaker and Nick Carter
Debut of Original Song by David Foster to Launch 'McDonald's World Children's Day'
PRNewswire
OAK BROOK, Ill.
Aug 16, 2002
Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) will host its annual "Awards of Excellence" gala at the Arie Crown Theater at McCormick Place in Chicago on Saturday, September 14th. The black- tie event will feature a silent auction, reception and performances by leading artists including international megastar Celine Dion, renowned Latin singing sensation Enrique Iglesias, Grammy-award winning composer, producer and musician David Foster, up-and-coming musical artist Josh Groban, R&B/gospel singer Nita Whitaker, and pop idol Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys. An original song written and composed by David Foster will debut in honor of "McDonald's World Children's Day," taking place November 20, 2002.
(Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020816/CGF004 )
The 2002 Award of Excellence will be presented to two outstanding individuals who made a significant contribution to improve the lives of children. In addition to the Award, each will receive $100,000 to be donated to the cause of their choice. These honorees are:
-- Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan, who initiates, directs and sponsors
projects and activities throughout Jordan and worldwide which respond
to the needs of mothers and children's health care, as well as in the
areas of education, women's development, environmental protection,
culture, public architecture and planning.
-- Judah Folkman, M.D., Andrus Professor of Pediatric Surgery at Harvard
Medical School and Surgeon-in-Chief, Emeritus, of Children's Hospital
in Boston, who is currently the professor of cell biology at the
Harvard Medical School. Folkman's research in angiogenesis has been
instrumental in the treatment of cancer and other diseases.
Members of the McDonald's family -- restaurant owners, suppliers and employees -- will also be honored for their efforts on behalf of children. One of the most distinguished awards given is the Gerry Newman McTLC award.
The 2002 recipient of this award along with $25,000, is Dawn Degenhardt, a McDonald's Owner in Houlton, Maine, who has dedicated 25 years to enriching the lives of abandoned children across the world. Working with Maine Adoption Placement Service (MAPS), she has helped to raise funds to build and renovate orphanages in Peru, Kazakhstan and India. She serves as caretaker at understaffed adoption centers and has adopted nine children into her own family.
Past RMHC Awards of Excellence recipients have included: tennis star Andrea Jaeger (2001), renowned performer and humanitarian Harry Belafonte (2000), former First Lady Betty Ford (1998), Retired U.S. Army General Colin Powell (1997), former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Antonia Novello (1995), and former First Lady Barbara Bush (1994), among others.
Gala Marks Launch of Worldwide Fundraising Effort for Children
The 2002 Awards of Excellence celebration will kick off "McDonald's World Children's Day," an unprecedented worldwide fundraising effort benefiting Ronald McDonald House Charities and other children's causes around the globe. ABC-TV will telecast the Awards of Excellence all-star concert on Thursday, November 14th at 7 p.m. CST/8 p.m. EST as part of this effort.
On November 20th, McDonald's restaurants in 121 countries will raise funds to help children in their communities. U.S. customers can participate by purchasing select menu items from which a portion of each sale will be donated to RMHC.
"McDonald's goal on November 20th goes far beyond the dollars raised for children," said Ken Barun, President and CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities. "It also brings the world's attention to the ever-increasing needs of children and the role we must all play in affecting positive change." Ronald McDonald House Charities, a non-profit, 501(c)3, creates, finds and supports programs that directly improve the health and well being of children through its network of 171 local Chapters currently serving in 44 countries. Named one of America's Top 100 Charities by Worth magazine, the Charity makes grants to not for-profit organizations and provides support to Ronald McDonald Houses and Ronald McDonald Care Mobiles worldwide. To date, Ronald McDonald House Charities' national body and global network of local Chapters have awarded more than $340 million to children's programs.
Awards of Excellence Tickets Now Available
Individual ticket prices for the gala concert start at $550, with net proceeds going directly to Ronald McDonald House Charities. For tickets or more information, call 630-623-7048 or log on to http://www.rmhc.org/ .
Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020816/CGF004http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990916/MCDLOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, 888-776-6555 or 212-782-2840
SOURCE: Ronald McDonald House Charities
CONTACT: Marty Coyne of Ronald McDonald House Charities,
+1-630-623-5171, or Jill Sterling or Louise Edwards, of Margie Korshak Inc.,
+1-312-751-2121, or Kim Todd of Golin-Harris International, +1-312-729-4295