Washington, D.C. — WHAT:
As a tribute to his significant contributions to development assistance on the African continent, Africare will present President George W. Bush with the Bishop John T. Walker Distinguished Humanitarian Service Award. The award, given annually at the Africare Dinner, recognizes the work of an individual or individuals who have made a significant impact on improving the quality of life for the people of Africa.
WHO:
- President George W. Bush and Laura Bush, President and First Lady of the United States of America
- Julius E. Coles, President, Africare
- Ambassadors from 56 nations
- Jendayi Frasier, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs
- Hon. William Frist, Former Senator (R-TN)
- Hon. Donald M. Payne, US House of Representatives (D-NJ)
- Hon. Andrew Young, Chariman, GoodWorks International LLC and former ambassador to the United Nations
- Dr. Dorothy I. Height, Chair and President, National Council of Negro Women
- Hon. Henrietta Fore, Acting Director, US Agency for International Development
- Mr. Lloyd Pierson, President, U.S. African Development Foundation
- John Danilovich, CEO, Millennium Challenge Corporation
- Ronald Tschetter, Director, Peace Corps
- Dr. Louis Sullivan, Former US Secretary of Health and Human Services
- Alexander Cummings, Chief Administrative Officer and Executive Vice President, The Coca-Cola Company
- Rear Adm. Tim Ziemer, US Malaria Coordinator, President's Malaria Initiative
- Bobby Pittman, Special Assistant to the President for African Affairs
- Dave Chappelle - Comedian/Actor
- TJ Holmes, CNN Anchor (Mr. Holmes will be the Master of Ceremonies for the event)
WHEN:
Wednesday, November 12, 5:30 – 9:30 pm
WHERE:
The Hilton Washington Hotel, 1919 Connecticut Ave. NW
Hotel parking available on site using T Street Entrance or 19th Street Entrance. Parking also available at Universal South Parking located at 1825 Connecticut Avenue. T Street will be closed off at 6:30 pm.
WHY:
Africare is pleased to award President Bush with this prestigious award. Since taking office in 2001, he has transformed the way development assistance is carried out on the African continent by creating partnerships with African governments, businesses and civil society organizations to promote economic growth. The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief has committed over 60 billion dollars to fight global HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. In addition, his administration has facilitated $34 billion to diminish debt, over $14 billion to invest in economies, nearly $4.5 billion to fight poverty and $10 million for clean water on the African continent.
For more information on Media Coverage or Press Credentials, please contact the Media Relations Manager Tina Musoke at 202.328.5372 (o), 202.469.0161 (c) or tmusoke@africare.org.
About Africare
Africare is a leading non-profit organization specializing in African aid. It is also the oldest and largest African-American led organization in that field. Since its founding in 1970, Africare has delivered more than $710 million in assistance and support — over 2,500 projects and millions of beneficiaries — to 36 countries Africa-wide. Africare has its international headquarters in Washington, DC, with field offices currently in some 25 African countries.
The Bishop Walker Dinner plays an important role in enabling Africare to both broaden awareness about its work in Africa and to raise critically needed funds to deliver life-saving services. Africare is committed to working with Health and HIV/AIDS; Food Security and Agriculture, Emergency and Humanitarian Aid; and Water and Sanitation. The 2007 Africare Bishop Walker Dinner had over 2,000 attendees and raised over $1.1 million.
The Africare Dinner is named after the late John T. Walker, the first African-American Episcopal Bishop of Washington, DC, and long-time Chairman of Africare. Bishop Walker loved Africa and the great energy and beauty of her peoples. He dedicated years of his life to his vision of what he knew Africa could become. Bishop Walker passed away on September 30, 1989.
