ANN CURRY, MUHAMMAD ALI HUMANITARIAN AWARD FOR GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP

Ann Curry is an award-winning journalist known for her persistent humanitarian reporting. She has covered conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Darfur, Congo, the Central African Republic, Serbia, Lebanon, and Israel; nuclear tensions from North Korea and Iran and numerous humanitarian disasters, including the massive 2010 earthquake in Haiti, where her appeal via Twitter (@AnnCurry) is credited for helping to speed the arrival of humanitarian planes.

Her world-wide reporting about Climate Change, including from the Arctic, the South Pole and Mount Kilimanjaro broke ground when Americans were still debating it.

Ann’s list of news breaking interviews include Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani, President Ahmadinejad, President Khatami and Foreign Minister Zarif; Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad and First Lady Asma al-Assad; Pakistan’s Benazir Bhutto, President Ali Zadari and President Musharraf; Turkey’s President Erdogan; Saddam Hussein’s close advisor and Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz, Sudan’s President Omar Bashir and South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir; Liberia’s President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf; Chad’s President Idriss Deby; as well as U.S. Presidents George Prescott Bush, Bill Clinton, George Walker Bush and Barack Obama, Vice-President Joe Biden, U.S. Secretaries of State John Kerry and Hillary Clinton as well as First Lady Laura Bush, Jill Biden, the Dalai Lama, Sir Edmund Hillary, George Clooney, Maya Angelou, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, among others.

She has produced a PBS documentary series and a program helping under served Americans get access to medical care. She has written for National Geographic Magazine and taught journalism seminars at American University. She also serves on the Ali Center Commission on Civility and Compassion.

Awarded seven Emmys and numerous other journalism awards, she has also received many humanitarian awards, including a Medal of Valor from the Simon Wiesenthal Center for her dedication to reporting about genocide.

EDWARD LEE, MUHAMMAD ALI KENTUCKY HUMANITARIAN AWARD

Chef Edward Lee is the Chef/Owner of 610 Magnolia in Louisville and the Culinary Director for Succotash Prime in DC and Succotash in National Harbor. He is also the Co-Founder and Creative Director for The LEE Initiative, a non-profit launched in 2017 that is dedicated to diversity and equality in the restaurant industry.

The LEE Initiative operates several programs under its umbrella, including the Women Culinary and Spirits Program, Restaurant Workers Relief Program, Restaurant Reboot Relief Program, and McAtee Community and Training Kitchen.  During the pandemic, The LEE Initiative distributed over 2 million meals, invested $1.5 million in small farms, and gave over $1 million in grants to Black-owned food businesses across the country. Chef Lee’s philanthropic work also includes the Lee Diversity Scholarship to support the Southern Foodways Alliance Oral History Workshop. Chef Lee is an award-winning chef, author, and television personality. He was the recipient of the 2019 James Beard Foundation Award for his book, Buttermilk Graffiti: A Chef’s Journey to Discover America’s New Melting Pot Cuisine. His first book, Smoke & Pickles was a national bestseller.

LINDSEY OFCACEK, MUHAMMAD ALI KENTUCKY HUMANITARIAN AWARD

Lindsey Ofcacek is Co-Founder and Managing Director for The LEE Initiative, whose mission is to address issues of diversity and equality in the restaurant industry. Ofcacek has created several programs under The LEE Initiative umbrella, including the Women Culinary and Spirits Program; Restaurant Workers Relief Program; Restaurant Reboot Relief Program; and the McAtee Community and Training Kitchen.

During the pandemic, The LEE Initiative distributed over 2 million meals at relief centers around the country, invested over $1.5 million in small farms, and has given over $1 million in grants to Black-owned food businesses through a partnership with Southern Restaurants for Racial Justice.

The work of The LEE Initiative has been recognized in The New York Times, Food & Wine, Forbes, Bon Appetit, Robb Report, and many more. Prior to starting The LEE Initiative, Ofcacek worked with Chef Edward Lee at

610 Magnolia as the general manager and wine director, and still runs the award-winning wine program at the restaurant.

MICHAEL J. FOX, MUHAMMAD ALI HUMANITARIAN AWARD FOR COURAGE

Born in Canada, Michael J. Fox is an award-winning television and film actor whose enduring career as a performer has made him an icon to countless fans around the globe. In 1991, at age 29, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, news he shared with the public in 1998. In 2000, to help advance scientific progress toward a cure for Parkinson’s, he established The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

Today Michael is as famous for his advocacy as for his acting. Sitting on the Foundation’s Board of Directors and serving as its inspirational leader, Michael speaks frequently on behalf of the organization described by the New York Times as “the most credible voice on Parkinson’s research in the world.” He is admired for his commitment to raising awareness about Parkinson’s research, his dedication to scientific freedom, and his appreciation of the need for new strategies to accelerate the translation of research discoveries into practical therapies on pharmacy shelves. In 2011, Michael received the Order of Canada, the country’s highest civilian honor, in recognition of his Parkinson’s advocacy.

Fox is the bestselling author of three books — A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future, Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist, and his first memoir, Lucky Man. Fox also remains in demand as an actor. He thrilled audiences with a multi-episode guest arc in the CBS hit drama “The Good Wife,” earning a 2011 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. He also guest-starred in Larry David’s acclaimed HBO comedy “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” In September 2009 he received his fifth Emmy award for his portrayal of Dwight, an embittered, drug-addicted paraplegic, in a multi-episode guest arc on the network drama “Rescue Me.”

Fox and his wife, actress Tracy Pollan, have four children.

MARK TEWKSBURY, MUHAMMAD ALI HUMANITARIAN AWARD FOR GENDER EQUALITY

Mark Tewksbury first came to prominence as an Olympic swimming gold medalist, but it’s his remarkable life post-Olympics that has come to truly define him.

The Toronto Star said, “Only the greatest fight for what they believe in, taking on people and institutions and closed minds because the battle is important. Few have done that more often, more successfully, and more importantly than Tewksbury.”

Mark’s sport leadership career began in 1996 on the International Olympic Committee’s Site Selection Commission for the XXVIII Olympic Games.  Making front-page news, Mark stepped down from his Olympics posts in February 1999 in response to the ethical crisis facing the IOC.  He co-founded OATH, an organization created to hold the IOC accountable to its own ideals.  Mark returned to the Olympic Movement in 2017 as a Director of the Canadian Olympic Committee, where he continues to fight for inclusive, fair and principled sport.

Mark has been involved with the global LGBTQ+ movement since coming out over 20 years ago as one of the first openly gay Olympic champions in the world.  He was invited by the government of France to be part of history as the first Declaration to decriminalize homosexuality was introduced at the United Nations in 2008.  Tewksbury as one of the three pioneers featured at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights 2015 exhibit, recognizing the enormous impact Mark has had with his example.

Since 2009 Mark been on the Board of Directors of Special Olympics Canada.  During his term, he has founded the Champions Network, a group of celebrities 50+ strong that use their profile to highlight the sport accomplishments of people with an intellectual disability.   Mark’s ongoing fight for justice, fair play and equal rights is what defines him, a unique Olympic icon whose reach goes far beyond sport.

For his athletic achievements, ethical leadership, and contribution to society, Tewksbury has received five honorary degrees, the Queens’s Jubilee Silver Medal, and the Meritorious Service Medal from the Governor General of Canada.

AMY HEHRE, MUHAMMAD ALI HUMANITARIAN AWARD FOR GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP

Amy Hehre is a US Certified Physician Assistant, Kenyan Clinical Officer, as well as the CEO and Founder at OVI Children’s Hospital—a 24/7 advanced medical facility offering free, life-saving treatment to the critically-ill orphans and abandoned children across Sub-Saharan Africa.

She currently serves full-time in Migori, Kenya with her husband, medical director and co-founder Robert J. Hehre, MPAS, PA-C and their daughter Lily Von Hehre. In addition to her time in Kenya, Amy has traveled to over 40 countries to serve, share, and simply appreciate the diversity of each culture and experience. She is an avid creative visionary and entrepreneur who hopes to make her organization sustainable and readily available to needy children globally.

Before her journey to Kenya, Amy was born and raised in Somerset, Kentucky. She completed her undergraduate studies at the Western Kentucky University Honors College and her medical training at the University of Kentucky with clinical experiences at multiple institutions within Norton Hospital, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and teaching hospitals in both Kenya and Swaziland.

Amy is passionate about pediatric oncology, an avid orphan advocate, and global mentor with a love of helping others achieve their biggest goals. However, her favorite title is “Mommy” and she assumes that role for every child she finds in need of that love.

In only two years of operation, OVI Children’s Hospital has been consistently booked to capacity. The Hehre family plans to expand with a cancer institute, operating room, and additional international campuses.

Above all else, Amy is committed to investing in the lives of the orphaned and destitute. To offer the hope of health, love, and purpose to children who would otherwise have no access to the care they desperately need. When asked how the couple continues their work through all the grief and heartache Amy answered, “We are not afraid to grieve, but we do fear what will happen to these children if no one takes the risk to love them.”

Website: www.OVIChildrensHospital.org

AMY CARLSON, MUHAMMAD ALI HUMANITARIAN AWARD FOR GENDER EQUALITY

Amy Carlson is known for her portrayal of strong female characters spanning from her most recent role, “Linda Reagan” (for seven seasons on CBS’ hit series, Blue Bloods, opposite Tom Selleck, Donnie Wahlberg and Bridget Moynahan), to the female firefighter “Alex Taylor” on the NBC series Third Watch (where she had the honor of portraying a member of the FDNY before and during 9/11).

Amy is a social justice advocate, feminist and humanitarian. Growing up in the Middle East, Amy spent time in refugee camps which influenced her world view. Amy comes from an activist family; her father and step-mother are environmental advocates who “work the trails” in North Carolina as well as advocating for a variety of social justice issues, and her mother, who has lived in Egypt the past decade, is an active member of the Alexandria Turtle and Wildlife Rescue Team.

After the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, Amy traveled with World Vision to aid in the relief efforts. Her world experience fed her passion to advocate for social justice at home. She serves as a board member for Hearts of Gold, which provides support to homeless mothers and children in NYC, is active with Habitat for Humanity and is a founding member of SPaCE, a neighborhood organization in NYC, which advocates for the local Chinatown and LES community. Passionate about Women’s Rights, Amy published an essay in Gettysburg Replies, (alongside President Carter, Colin Powell and Justice Sandra Day O’Connor among others) in which she reexamines the Gettysburg Address for women’s solidarity. She is active in Equality Now, fighting for gender equality, as well as the “Time’s Up” and the “Me Too” movements.

Having lost her childhood friend to ME/CFS, (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), Amy passionately advocates for awareness of the illness. She recently traveled to Washington, D.C. to lobby for funds, partnered in a hometown screening of the film Unrest and is creating a foundation for her friend called “Friends of Anne Berry.” Amy graduated cum laude from Knox College in Galesburg Illinois, with a major in East Asian Studies.

DAVE EGGERS, MUHAMMAD ALI HUMANITARIAN AWARD FOR EDUCATION

Dave Eggers is the author of many books, including The Circle, A Hologram for the King, and, most recently the picture book What Can a Citizen Do?. His work has been nominated for the National Book Award, the Pulitzer Prize, and the National Book Critics Circle Award, and has won the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, France’s Prix Médicis, Germany’s Albatross Prize, the National Magazine Award, and the American Book Award.

He is the co-founder of 826 Valencia, a youth writing a tutoring center in San Francisco that empowers young people through the written word. Since its opening in 2002, similar centers have emerged all over the world from Melbourne to Toronto to Milan and now Louisville, Kentucky, where the Young Authors Greenhouse opened in 2017.

In 2010, Eggers founded ScholarMatch, a college access organization dedicated to making higher education available to low income youth. ScholaMatch offers six years of wrap-around services to ensure higher graduation rates for young people. To date, ScholarMatch’s retention and graduation rate is 92%, and ScholarMatch has serves 1,500 students per year and has given $2.5 million in scholarships since its inception.

Eggers’s 2006 book What is the What, about South Sudanese civil war survivor Valentino Achak Deng, gave birth to the Valentino Achak Deng Foundation, run by Mr. Deng. VADF has a particular focus on girls’ and young women’s education and operates acclaimed schools in South Sudan.
Eggers is the founder of the independent San Francisco publisher McSweeney’s, which publishes Voice of Witness, a non-profit oral history series that illuminates global human rights crises.

In 2018, Eggers co-founded The International Congress of Youth Voices, an annual gathering of 100 extraordinary young writers and activists; their landmark meeting in San Francisco resulted in a youth-written manifesto published by The Guardian.

Eggers lives in California with his wife and two children. They have no significant pets.

HRH Princess Dr. Nisreen El-Hashemite, Muhammad Ali Humanitarian of the Year

HRH Princess Dr. Nisreen’s origins combine history, religion, politics, education, and humanitarianism: since she is a direct descendent of the Prophet of Islam, Mohammed, and granddaughter of King Faisal (I), the founder of the Modern State of Iraq. Vowing to preserve the traditions of her family, Princess Dr. Nisreen not only dedicated herself to serving mankind, but also broke the Royal traditional mold and became a highly visible doctor and scientist and authored several papers and books. Princess Dr. Nisreen is the recipient of multiple awards and Honorary Doctorates in the fields of science, arts, literature, and humanitarian affairs.

Her career started in 1995 at University of London hospitals and Institutes and continued at Brigham and Women’s Hospital – Harvard Medical School. As the Founder of Jeans 4 Genes International, she dedicated her expertise to transfer of technology, developing early detection and prevention programs of Genetic Disorders and Cancer, and to improve women’s maternal and reproductive health in developing countries. In 2007, Princess Nisreen, became the Executive Director of the Royal Academy of Science International Trust (RASIT) and devoted herself to serving Sustainable Development Programs in the world. She established the World Women’s Health and Development Forum at the United Nations and is the Founder of the Women in Science International League. In 2015, she was the catalyst for the UN General Assembly to proclaim February 11th the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. She is founder of MUTE International Program, to promote, protect and ensure equal human rights for the deaf and hearing-impaired; and a co-founder of Culture for Peace Program, to promote peace through arts.

In 1998, Princess El-Hashemite organized and chaired the RASIT-UNESCO First International Congress of University Students. Since 2009, she has created campaigns to renounce sectarianism and radicalization, to create harmony and reconciliation in societies. Princess Nisreen is the first artist to use Arabic / Turkish coffee for paintings, donating all proceeds from her collection to support Charitable Programs. Dr. El-Hashemite visits schools and uses her titles: Princess and doctor, to encourage children, mainly girls, to choose science as a career.

Ashley Judd, Muhammad Ali Kentucky Humanitarian

Ashley Judd is well known for dexterously starring in both box office hits and for turning in unforgettable performances in fine independent films. From her debut in Sundance Film Festival grand jury prize winner, Ruby In Paradise,  to Kiss the Girls, Double Jeopardy,  De-Lovely and the Divergent series,  her films tell very personal stories– which is exactly what Judd does when she is not making movies. She will next be seen starring in season two of Epix’s political thriller series Berlin Station.

Ashley Judd is a feminist social justice humanitarian. Her work on the screen has ultimately prepared her to advocate and activate inequities in the world through her strong voice and active leadership.  She has been working internationally, with NGO’S, grass roots organizations, governments, and supranational bodies since 2004.

Presently, she serves as Global Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), where she helps raise awareness of reproductive health for girls and women, and advocates against other injustices of young people.  Ashley is also the Global Ambassador for Population Services International (PSI), and in this role has visited slums, brothels, schools and clinics worldwide, to help shed light on the devastating effects of poverty, social injustice and gender inequality, and has met with diplomats, heads of state, and religious and political leaders to promote humanitarian causes on a political level.  As an Ambassador of the Polaris Project, Ashley serves as a leader in the global fight to eradicate modern slavery and restore freedom to survivors. She also serves on multiple advisory boards and is Chairperson of the Women’s Media Center Speech Project: Curbing Abuse, Expanding Freedom. In addition, Ms. Judd has travelled the world to do international public health.

Ashley is a graduate of the University of Kentucky, and in 2010, earned an MPA from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

Paige Elenson, Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award for Global Citizenship

Paige lives and breathes the creed of service and self-empowerment that she teaches. A native New Yorker, graduate of New York University, and former Wall Street consultant, Paige has been teaching yoga for over a decade in the dynamic Baptiste, AcroYoga, and Jivamukti methods. As a Senior Baptiste and AcroYoga Teacher, Paige teaches in Yoga Journal Conferences across the United States, and is a featured presenter at the Evolution Asia Yoga Conference, the Barcelona Yoga Conference, the AcroYoga Festival, the Baptiste Power Flow Immersion, and the Yoga Teacher Telesummit.

Paige’s incisive skills as a businesswoman, spiritual activist, and yogini inspired her work with the Africa Yoga Project organization. In 2007, Paige moved to Africa and co-founded the AYP organization, a movement that empowers the youth and women of Kenya to learn, contribute, and change their lives through the transformative power of yoga. With the support of Baron Baptiste and his community, the AYP organization facilitated the first yoga teacher training in Kenya and now employs local youth to teach full-time in their own communities. AYP programs offer free classes to over 3,000 students per week, simultaneously building schools and funding education, critical operations, and environmental endeavors.

Since 2007, Paige has partnered with leaders in politics, philanthropy, design, and entertainment to broaden the AYP organization’s empowering reach. Whether working alongside Donna Karan’s Urban Zen Foundation, Christy Turlington, or Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Initiative, Paige creates unique opportunities for community involvement and transformation. At home in Nairobi or reaching students around the world, Paige’s dedication to positive global change is infectious and inspiring.

Hill Harper, Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award for Education 

Hill Harper is an award-winning actor, best-selling author and philanthropist. Harper starred on the hit CBS drama CSI: NY, HLN’s How It Really Happened with Hill Harper, and Showtime’s award-winning series Homeland. This fall, Harper will begin his role as Dr. Marcus Andrews on the highly-anticipated new show, The Good Doctor on ABC. In theaters, he can be seen in the movie Concussion and the recently released Tupac Shakur biopic All Eyez on Me. Harper has earned seven NAACP Image Awards for his writing and acting and is a New York Times best-selling author for his books: Letters to a Young Brother, (which was also named “Best Book for Young Adults” by the American Library Association in 2007) Letters to a Young Sister, and The Conversation. Additionally, he has written Letters to an Incarcerated Brother and The Wealth Cure: Putting Money in its Place. Harper founded The Manifest Your Destiny Foundation which is dedicated to empowering, encouraging, and inspiring underserved youth to succeed through mentorship, scholarship and grant programs.

Hill Harper graduated magna cum laude as valedictorian of his department with a bachelor’s degree from Brown University and cum laude with a Juris Doctorate degree from Harvard Law School. He also holds a master’s degree with honors from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and holds Honorary Doctoral Degrees from Winston-Salem State University, Cheyney University, Westfield State College, Tougaloo College, Le-Moyne Owen College, Dillard University and Howard University.

Harper currently serves on the President’s Cancer Panel having been appointed by President Obama in 2011. Harper travels worldwide as a motivational speaker, addressing current affairs and life-awakening topics to a wide array of audiences of youth, adults, couples, and business leaders. He is also a job creator, as an entrepreneur; Harper owns The Roasting Plant Coffee Roastery in Detroit, a hotel in New Orleans, and The Architect & Co – a health and wellness company. In 2014, People Magazine named him one of their Sexiest Men Alive.

Jon Secada, Muhammad Ali Humanitarian of the Year Award

Multi-Grammy Award-winner Jon Secada’s career spans over two decades and includes 20 million albums sold and a Broadway starring role in 1995 for “Grease.” His numerous hits, including “Just Another Day,” in English and Spanish established him as one of the first bilingual artists to have international crossover success. Jon also became a popular songwriter for other artists, including Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez, Mandy Moore, and Gloria Estefan, including her number one hit “Coming Out of the Dark.”

Born in Cuba, Jon arrived in Miami, Florida at age nine. He is a graduate of the University of Miami, where he also established the Jon Secada Music Scholarship. In addition to his time in the recording studio and on stage, Jon served as a celebrity judge for four years on the international hit show, “Latin American Idol” and participated as a contestant on Univision’s hit dance show “Mira Quien Balia”, the Latin “Dancing with the Stars.”

Under his organization, Jon Secada Charities, Jon has devoted himself to assisting charitable groups all over the world, focusing on children, education, AIDS research, and child abuse. Specifically, he has supported the Pediatric AIDS Unit at Miami’s Jackson Memorial Hospital, the Lifebeat Concert to benefit AIDS research, Amigos Together for Kids, Make-A-Wish Foundation, as well as many other initiatives. His tribute song, “The Last Goodbye,” was dedicated to the families of 9/11 victims. He included an all-star version in Spanish, which was released as a single, with all proceeds going to the victims’ families.

Jon was appointed by former President George W. Bush to serve on the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans, aimed at closing the educational achievement gap between Hispanic students and their peers. Jon’s commitment to education remains steadfast, as he is currently a visiting professor at Miami Dade College, the University of Miami, and Riverside Community College. He also serves as a celebrity mentor for The Inspire and Develop Artists Program (IDA). In June, Jon hosted an earthquake relief concert for Ecuador. The funds raised provided permanent shelter and relief to a group of orphaned children.

Louis Gossett, Jr., Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award for Education

Louis Gossett, Jr. is one of stage, film and television’s most recognized and lauded talents.  With over three hundred titles to his credit, Gossett has earned some of the industry’s highest honors—including Emmy’s, Golden Globes, NAACP Image Awards, and an Academy Award for his portrayal of Sgt. Emil Foley in “An Officer and a Gentleman”—and now adds author, director, and humanitarian to his accomplishments.

Louis Gossett, Jr. was born in 1936, in Brooklyn, New York. At the age of 17, Gossett caught his first break as the lead for Broadway’s “Take a Giant Step” (1953). His next Broadway role would come in 1959, in the watershed play “A Raisin in the Sun”—a portrayal of African American life written by Lorraine Hansberry.

This led to numerous roles in the 1960s and 70s leading to 1977, when he earned an Emmy for his performance in the groundbreaking mini-series “Roots.” His menacing work in “The Deep” (1977) and portrayal of a tough but fair drill sergeant in “An Officer and a Gentleman” (1982) brought him rave reviews, with the latter role earning him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

A Los Angeles Times best-selling author (An Actor and a Gentleman), Gossett is still working steadily in films and on TV.

With a career spanning six decades, the elder statesman has dedicated this last quadrant of his life to communicate with younger generations and transmit the values of community, self-love, and purpose that have characterized our progress as a people. He established Louis Gossett Jr.’s Eracism Foundation which is dedicated to providing young adults with the tools they need for living a racially diverse and culturally inclusive life. Through his Foundation, Gossett will establish Shamba Centers (Swahili for “farm”) throughout the United States, that offer instruction in cultural diversity, historical enrichment and antiviolence initiatives for young adults, teens and pre-teens to help them understand and eliminate racism by creating a living environment where racism and injustice have a hard time existing.

Sheryl Lee Ralph, Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award for Global Citizenship

Sheryl Lee Ralph has had success on Broadway, on screen and television, with music, and with her philanthropic endeavors. A triple-threat dreamgirl, Sheryl’s award-winning work includes creating the role of Deena Jones in the legendary Broadway musical, “Dreamgirls” and earning Best Actress nods for Tony and Drama Desk Awards.

Sheryl’s past TV credits include “It’s a Living,” “Designing Women,” “The District,” “Moesha,” and others. On the big screen, Sheryl has appeared in “The Mighty Quinn,” “Mistress,” “To Sleep with Anger” and “The Distinguished Gentlemen.”

She has been named one of the top 10 College Women in America by Glamour magazine and has been recognized around the country for her artistic endeavors, but she finds the most fulfillment in giving back to the global community.

Sheryl has spent the last three decades advocating for those infected by HIV/AIDS and educating others around the world about the importance of knowing their status. She is the founding Director of The Divinely Inspired Victoriously Aware (DIVA) Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, created as a living memorial to the many friends she lost to HIV/AIDS while a member of Dreamgirls.

In 1990, Sheryl also founded DIVAS Simply Singing!, the longest consecutive running musical HIV/AIDS benefit in the country and has been honored for her one-woman show “Sometimes I Cry,” about the lives, loves and losses of  HIV/AIDS-infected women.

Named one of the most FIERCE & FABULOUS Women in America by ESSENCE magazine, Sheryl received her Doctorate in Humane Letters from Tougaloo College and Huston‐Tillotson University for her AIDS activism. Sheryl also holds the distinction of being the youngest female graduate of Rutgers College (RU) at the age of 19. She was awarded the first Red Ribbon Award at the UN for her unique use of the arts in HIV/AIDS activism. Sheryl has also served as AIDS Ambassador for Jamaica’s Ministry of Health. She is on the Board of Trustees of Los Angeles Project Angel Food.

In 2008, she and her husband, Pennsylvania State Senator Vincent Hughes, started Test Together, a campaign that encourages couples to know their status as an essential first step.

Mother of Etienne and Ivy with a blended family of four, Sheryl resides in Los Angeles and Philadelphia with her husband.

Geena Davis, Academy Award-winner, humanitarian, and women’s advocate, was honored as the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian of the Year. Geena Davis, one of Hollywood’s most respected actors, is recognized for her tireless advocacy of gender equality in media nearly as much as for her acting accomplishments. She is the Founder and Chair of the non-profit Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, which is successfully influencing film and television content creators to dramatically increase the percentages of female characters—and reduce gender stereotyping—in media targeting children 11 and under. In 2015, Davis launched the Bentonville Film Festival (BFF), an unprecedented initiative in support of women and diversity in the entertainment industry and serves as its Co-Founder and Chair. In 2012, Davis was appointed Special Envoy for Women and Girls in ICT for the UN’s International Telecommunication Union (ITU). She is an official partner of UN Women and is also the Chair of the California Commission on the Status of Women. Davis has also received the 2006 Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series Drama, an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in “The Accidental Tourist” in 1989, and numerous other nominations and accolades. Davis broke ground in her portrayal of the first female President of the United States in ABC’s hit show “Commander in Chief.” Davis is also a world-class athlete (at one time was the nation’s 13th-ranked archer and a semi-finalist in the Olympic Trials).

Dr. Andrew Moore from Lexington, Kentucky, founder of Surgery on Sunday, was named the 2015 Muhammad Ali Kentucky Humanitarian of the Year. Dr. Moore, a plastic surgeon for nearly 40 years, witnessed throughout his career the need for a program to serve individuals who “fell between the cracks” of the health care industry. Dedicated to a population of people often overlooked, Dr. Moore made it his mission to see the working poor receive outpatient surgeries they would not otherwise receive due to their inability to pay. In 2005, he founded Surgery on Sunday, a program that provides essential outpatient surgeries and procedures to the uninsured and underinsured who do not qualify for state or federal programs. It is the first program of its kind in the United States. Relying entirely on volunteers, Surgery on Sunday performs outpatient surgeries the third Sunday of each month at the Lexington Surgery Center, utilizing volunteer physicians, anesthesiologists, nurses and administrative personnel. To date, volunteers have contributed over 90,000 hours of service to assist patients in need. Since inception, the organization founded by Dr. Moore has assisted over 5,600 patients, with that number growing monthly.

Mick Ebeling received the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian of the Year Award for his work as founder and CEO of Not Impossible, LLC, an organization that develops creative solutions to real-world problems. Not Impossible’s latest endeavor, Project Daniel, is the subject of Intel’s latest Look Inside campaign. For Project Daniel, Ebeling flew to Sudan to 3D-print and fit prosthetic limbs for children of the war-torn region, then left the equipment behind with locals he’d trained who continued after he left, thus establishing the world’s first 3D printing prosthetic lab and training facility.  Mick also created the Eyewriter: a DIY, open-source, low-cost device that enables individuals with paralysis to communicate and create art using only the movement of their eyes.

Susan Sarandon was honored with the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award for Global Citizenship. The Academy-Award winning actress and social and economic activist’s charitable work includes serving as an ambassador for UNICEF, on the board of advisors for the Yéle Haiti Foundation, and on the Advisory Committee for FilmAid International. She also has served on the Amazon Conservation Team (ACT) Board of Directors and is now on their Advisory Board. Susan was Action Against Hunger’s award recipient at the “Restaurants Against Hunger Campaign” gala in 2006, in honor of World Food Day.

Common was given the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award for Education. Common, who is a multiple Grammy Award-winning hip hop artist, poet, and guest speaker known to motivate and empower collegiate minds at prestigious universities across the country. In 2000, he launched his own philanthropic effort, The Common Ground Foundation, whose mission is dedicated to the empowerment and development of disadvantaged youth in urban communities by mentoring in three areas: character development, creative expression and healthy living.

Christina Aguilera—referred to by many to as the “voice of her generation”—received the first ever Muhammad Ali Humanitarian of the Year Award for her work to end global hunger in her role as global spokesperson for Yum! Brands World Hunger Relief and as Global Ambassador for the United Nations World Food Programme. Ms. Aguilera  is an acclaimed American singer/ songwriter who has developed a strong following over the past decade for her musical versatility and her deep dedication to philanthropic causes. As one of the most successful recording artists of the decade, Ms. Aguilera has sold more than 43 million records worldwide and won four Grammy Awards and one Latin Grammy Award. In 2012, she was named one of Time Magazine’s Most Influential People in the World. Since 2009, Ms. Aguilera has demonstrated her strong commitment to world hunger issues through her role as global spokesperson for Yum! Brands’ World Hunger Relief effort which raises awareness, volunteerism and funds for the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and others. Aguilera appears in Yum! Brands’ World Hunger Relief public service announcements, restaurant posters, and online efforts, including the campaign’s website HungertoHope.com.  She also appeared in a PSA with Muhammad Ali in 2010 to help WFP Haiti earthquake relief efforts. Her efforts have helped raise millions for WFP and other hunger relief agencies.  Aguilera also serves as an “Ambassador Against Hunger” for WFP where she has traveled on relief trips with the organization to Guatemala, Haiti and Rwanda.

Michael Bolton, multi-Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and humanitarian, received the first annual Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award for Gender Equality. Michael has earned two Grammys for Best Pop Male Vocal, 6 American Music Awards, a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and sold over 53 million records worldwide. As a songwriter, he’s achieved several awards, including Songwriter of the Year, and the Hitmakers Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Michael founded the Michael Bolton Charities (MBC), now in its 21st year, advocating on behalf of women and children at risk. In 2000 and 2005, he joined forces with coalitions of women’s and men’s groups, as well as members of Congress to pass, and then reauthorize, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Currently, the MBC is working on the creation of a Family Justice Center in Michael’s home state of Connecticut, as well as in Nevada, where MBC is expanding its mission. Since 1993, over $10 million has been disbursed to organizations across the country.