NEW YORK, March 12, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Multiplying Good, the nation's leading nonprofit focused on fueling personal growth and leadership through public service, honored individuals, organizations, and youth leaders at the forefront of social good at the annual Jefferson Awards on March 11, 2019, at 583 Park Avenue in New York City. For 47 years, the organization has recognized both prominent national changemakers and local unsung heroes for their achievements as a means to multiply their impact and inspire others to take action.
"Each year the Jefferson Awards afford us the distinct pleasure of sharing some of the very best stories of service from across America and award the incredible individuals that make them possible through their hard work and dedication,” said Hillary Schafer, Multiplying Good CEO. “These stories provide hope as we continue to face partisanship and societal conflict, and by sharing them we aim to help others discover the best version of themselves by creating positive change in their communities.”
The 2019 Jefferson Awards honored Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning actress Mariska Hargitay for Outstanding Public Service Benefitting the Disadvantaged for her work with the Joyful Heart Foundation, which is committed to transforming society’s response to sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse and supporting survivors’ healing. Hargitay’s role as Olivia Benson on Wolf Films/Universal Television’s “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” inspired her to launch the Foundation in 2004 after being awakened to the burdens that survivors of trauma often carry. A major pillar of their advocacy work is the “End the Backlog” campaign, which aims to eliminate the backlog of hundreds of thousands of untested rape kits sitting in storage across America and inspired the 2018 Hargitay-produced HBO documentary film “I AM EVIDENCE.”
Entertainment industry entrepreneur and innovator Scooter Braun was honored with the S. Roger Horchow Award for Outstanding Public Service by a Private Citizen for his numerous philanthropic endeavors through his company SB Projects, a diversified entertainment and media company, which has giving back at the core of its founding philosophy. Braun serves as Chair of the Advisory Board of Pencils of Promise, a non-profit organization that builds schools in developing countries. He also serves on the board of Fuck Cancer, an organization focused on prevention and early detection of cancer, co-founded by his wife Yael Braun. By leveraging his deep connections in the entertainment world, Braun and his clients have been able to grant more wishes for Make-A-Wish than any other organization in the history of the foundation. In 2017, he also proved to be a music industry’s ‘first-responder’ when he quickly organized the One Love Manchester benefit concert and Hand in Hand: A Benefit for Hurricane Relief telethon.
Edie Lutnick was recognized for Outstanding Public Service by a New Yorker for her outstanding charity work as co-founder and president of the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund. The Relief Fund was established in the wake of the September 11th, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center to address the short and long-term needs of victims of terrorism. Since then, the Relief Fund has expanded its mission to include aid for families impacted by natural disasters and emergencies, direct service charities and wounded members of our military. Through Lutnick’s leadership, the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund has raised and distributed approximately $336 million and implemented numerous programs to aid those in need. Lutnick is the author of “An Unbroken Bond: The Untold Story of How the 658 Cantor Fitzgerald Families Faced the Tragedy of 9/11 and Beyond.”
The Outstanding Public Service by an Individual 25 Years & Under Award went to grassroots anti-bullying activist Morgan Guess, co-founder of the Guess Anti-Bullying Fund. After experiencing bullying firsthand when she was eight years old, Morgan helped start a statewide task force to address the issue, acted as a spokesperson in front of Kentucky legislature on behalf of a bill that formally defined “bullying” in the state, supported the opening of a mental health drop-in center for youth, and annually hosts Kindness Color Walks and Scarf the Park events for local families in-need around the holidays.
Jessica Nauiokas, co-founder and head of school for Mott Haven Academy Charter School, was honored with the Outstanding Public Service Benefitting the New York Community Award. Haven Academy is the country’s first public school dedicated to serving children in the child welfare system. Through her commitment to youth and education, Nauiokas was selected by the US Department of Education to serve as a Principal Ambassador Fellow in 2015 to provide counsel and opinion to the U.S. Secretary of Education.
The event was supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, Cahill Gordon & Reindel, Cantor Fitzgerald, Citigroup, Citi Private Bank, CME, Credit Suisse, Deloitte, Haymarket Media, Joele Frank Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher, Kirkland & Ellis, Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel, Latham & Watkins, Morgan Stanley/Tony Cipolla, National Football League, New York Foundling, Niagara University, Paul Hastings, Paulson & Co, Skadden Arps, Sullivan & Cromwell, U.S. Trust, VaynerMedia.
To learn more about the Jefferson Awards, presented by Multiplying Good, visit: http://multiplyinggood.org/what-we-do/jefferson-awards
About Multiplying Good
Multiplying Good is a national nonprofit that channels the power of public service to unleash potential in individuals. For nearly 50 years, they have honored those who build better communities, trained young leaders, and activated individuals and organizations to multiply the impact they can deliver. Through a continuum that starts with engagement and culminates in recognition, they fuel personal growth and multiply the power of service to others. Through recognition, they inspire individuals and those who hear their stories to deliver greater positive change. You can learn more about the organization by visiting MultiplyingGood.org or engaging with their online communities via Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.