Eight Finalists Selected For Prestigious World of Children Awards

Published 10-07-03

Submitted by World of Children, Inc.

COLUMBUS, OH - World of Children, an international children's advocacy group, has named eight global finalists for the 2003 World of Children Awards, the only international Awards recognizing children's advocates. The Awards comprise the Kellogg's Child Development Award, the Cardinal Health Children's Care Award and the Founder's Award.

The Kellogg's Child Development Award, a $100,000 award sponsored by the Kellogg Corporate Citizenship Fund, the founding sponsor and charitable arm of Kellogg Company, recognizes those who have made extraordinary contributions to children by significantly improving their opportunities to learn and grow.

The finalists are:

Fani Lerner, former first lady of Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, revolutionized social work in Brazil by creating 16 programs for needy children and adolescents, including initiatives to feed, shelter and educate homeless, orphaned, abandoned, physically disabled and mentally handicapped children.

Claudia Gonzales Moreno, executive director and founder of the Alalay Project, has worked full time without pay for 16 years in the streets of La Paz, Murillo, Bolivia and El Alto, Murillo, Bolivia, providing shelter and services to approximately 11,000 children per year.

Jetsun Pema, president of the Tibetan Children's Villages and sister of the Dalai Lama, is an advocate for more than 20,000 Tibetan refugee children. She has dedicated 40 years to alleviating poverty, providing shelter, improving living conditions and making educational opportunities available to thousands of needy children orphaned by the 1959 occupation of Tibet by China.

The Cardinal Health Children's Care Award, a prestigious $100,000 award sponsored by the Cardinal Health Foundation, the charitable arm of leading health care products and services provider, Cardinal Health, recognizes an individual who has made a significant lifetime contribution to the health and well-being of children.

The finalists are:

Dr. Martin Eichelberger, founder and president of the National SAFE KIDS Campaign and director of emergency trauma and burn services at Children's National Medical Center in Washington D.C, has contributed extensively to the field of pediatric trauma and injury control. Through the Emergency Medical Services for Children system, he has equipped thousands of health professionals with the ability to treat children given their special medical needs.

Dr. Elizabeth (Betty) Jones, of Coronado, Calif., established The Hospital Infantil de las Californias more than 20 years ago as the first full-service pediatric health-care facility in northern Baja, California. Through the support of more than 130 physicians, of which only four are paid, the hospital has conducted nearly 85,000 consultations and 1,800 surgeries.

Mahendra Mehta, a native of Mumbai, India, established the Ratna Nidhi Charitable Trust more than 20 years ago, an organization that supports the world's children in a multitude of ways, including corrective polio surgeries, cleft lip surgeries, provision of artificial limbs, prenatal and postnatal care facilities and education programs.

The Founder's Award, a $15,000 scholarship, recognizes a young person under age 21, who is making extraordinary contributions to other children.

The finalists are:

Ryan Hreljac, of Kemptville, Ontario, Canada, founded the Ryan's Well Foundation at age six. Now at age 12, Hreljac has raised nearly $800,000 since 1998 to build more than 70 wells in Africa that help provide fresh water and adequate sanitation in seven African countries.

Dayro Javier Reyes Acosta, founder of the Asociacion Santandereana Pro Ninos Retardos Mentales (ASOPORMEN), has touched the lives of nearly 4,000 Colombian children and their families by providing instruction and education on early intervention techniques that help people support mentally handicapped family members.

The finalists were selected from hundreds of global applicants. The World of Children's International Advisory Council, headed by Muhammad Ali, boxing legend and United Nation's Ambassador of Peace, chose the finalists. The 2003 Awards will be presented to three finalists during a ceremony and celebration on November 20 in Columbus, Ohio, home of the World of Children Awards.

"The World of Children Awards are the equivalent of being nominated for a Nobel Prize. They are the most respected awards for people who have devoted their lives to helping children," said David W. Lippy, president, World of Children, Inc. "We are privileged to shine a light throughout the world on their work."

About World of Children

World of Children, Inc. (www.WorldofChildren.org) is a for-impact organization whose mission is to honor, illuminate and inspire action on behalf of children by raising global awareness of the plight of children and by recognizing and bringing together individuals who have had a profound positive effect on the well-being of children. Since 1998, the World of Children Awards program has recognized 37 honorees from 18 countries, awarding more than $800,000 that has been reinvested in helping children. Annual awards include a $15,000 Founder's Award, which honors youth serving other youth, and two lifetime achievement awards: the $100,000 Kellogg's Child Development Award and the $100,000 Cardinal Health Children's Care Award.

About Kellogg's Corporate Citizenship Fund (KCCF)

KCCF is the charitable arm of Kellogg Company, and the founding sponsor of the World of Children Awards. With projected annual sales of about $8 billion, Kellogg Company (www.kelloggs.com) is the world's leading producer of cereal and a leading producer of convenience foods. Brands include Kellogg's, Keebler, Pop-Tarts, Eggo, Cheez-It, Nutri-Grain, Rice Krispies, Murray, Austin Morningstar Farms, Famous Amos, Carr's Plantation, Ready Crust and Kashi.

About the Cardinal Health Foundation

Supported by the global resources of Cardinal Health (www.cardinal.com),including more than 50,000 employees around the world, the Cardinal Health Foundation is the focal point of the company's community relations efforts. The Foundation's mission is to support employees' charitable interests and to advance and fund programs that improve access to and delivery of quality health care services in communities where Cardinal Health operates. With annual revenues of more than $51 billion and operations in 22 countries across five continents, Cardinal Health is the leading provider of products and services supporting the health care industry.

Note to Editors

Additional information about the awards and the finalists, including downloadable photos of each of the honorees, is available at www.WorldofChildren.org.

Eight Finalists Selected For Prestigious World of Children Awards

Eight Finalists Selected For Prestigious World of Children Awards

World of Children, Inc.

World of Children, Inc.

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