Washington, DC — Africare will honor entertainer/activist Harry Belafonte at the upcoming Africare Bishop John T. Walker Memorial Dinner -- the largest, most prestigious annual event for Africa in the United States -- Thursday evening, October 24, 2002, at the Hilton Washington Hotel in Washington, D.C.
Harry Belafonte will receive Africare's 2002 Bishop Walker Humanitarian Award for outstanding contributions to humankind worldwide and, specifically, to the civil rights struggle in the United States and to the struggles for political independence, children's rights and development, and freedom from HIV/AIDS Africa-wide. Previous recipients of this award have included President Nelson Mandela (1994), Archbishop Desmond M. Tutu (1992), Sargent Shriver (1993), former President Jimmy Carter (1996), Dr. Dorothy I. Height (1997), Ambassador Andrew Young (1998) and former HHS Secretary Louis W. Sullivan, M.D. (2001).
The 2002 event is presented under the International Honorary Patronage of President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria. Serving jointly as National Honorary Patrons are Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott. The Honorary Chair is Maria Walker, wife of the late Bishop John Walker (for whom the event is named).
G. Allen Andreas, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Archer Daniels Midland Company, is heading up the fund-raising effort as the National Chair. Other fund-raising leaders include the Honorable Rodney E. Slater, former Secretary of Transportation, and the Honorable George W. Haley, Esq., the event's General Chairs.
In attendance, Africare expects about 2,500 people: African heads of state, ministers of commerce and foreign affairs, leaders of international organizations like the African Union and the U.N., U.S. government leaders, top officials of major multinational corporations, NGOs, community groups and countless individuals who come because they care about Africa and seek to make a difference through Africare.
The Dinner's fund-raising goal this year is $2 million. Proceeds will help to support Africare's life-saving work -- in civil-society development and governance, food security and agriculture, health and HIV/AIDS, and emergency humanitarian response -- now in 26 countries Africa-wide. Founded in 1970, Africare is the oldest and largest African-American organization specializing in aid to Africa. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. The Africare Dinner, first held in October 1990, is Africare's major annual benefit event.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.africare.org or contact the Africare Dinner Office at (202) 328-5364 or dinner@africare.org.
