NEW YORK, Nov. 1, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- World of Children®, an organization dedicated to setting the gold standard in child advocacy, hosted its annual Awards Ceremony in New York City on October 27, 2016. The organization introduced a new class of Honorees, including Southern California teen Claire Wineland, who won this year's World of Children Youth Award.
This year's five Honorees were chosen from a pool of several thousand nominations for this year's Awards. Nominations are reviewed by an International Committee of volunteers and issue experts. Top candidates are investigated by an independent international firm to ensure their programs are of the highest caliber.
Claire was honored with the 2016 Youth Award for her work on behalf of children living with cystic fibrosis and their families. When she was just 13 years old, Claire Wineland was in a coma for three weeks following a "routine" surgery related to her cystic fibrosis (CF), an inherited disorder that causes severe damage to the lungs and digestive system. Determined to do something for other children living with CF, Claire founded Claire's Place Foundation shortly after her recovery from the coma. Claire's Place Foundation provides grants to support children living with CF and their families and also connects these families to others facing similar issues. These programs ensure that previously isolated families facing CF build up a caring and compassionate network to support them through everything from medical issues to everyday life. Claire also wants to educate others about CF and engages in public speaking and media appearances to raise awareness of the disorder and the needs of children living with CF.
Claire will use funding and support from World of Children Award to scale up her Extended Hospital Stay Grant Program, allowing her organization to significantly increase the number of children and families served.
ABOUT WORLD OF CHILDREN AWARD:
World of Children® Award improves the lives of vulnerable children by funding and elevating the most effective changemakers for children worldwide.
Since 1998, World of Children Award has granted more than $8 million in cash grants and program support to more than 100 individuals leading programs serving children worldwide.