New York, NY, May 03, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Helen Keller International, inspired by the extraordinary determination and fierce optimism of our namesake and co-founder, will host our annual Spirit of Helen Keller Gala on Wednesday, May 10, 2017.
HKI’s celebration affirms a century of leadership striving against the causes and consequences of blindness, malnutrition, and disease. Now, more than ever, HKI asserts its bold vision to protect the health and human rights of the world’s most vulnerable people, and to help them see possibilities, overcome obstacles and reach their potential.
As part of the celebration, pioneer of the One for One® business model TOMS will be honored with the 2017 Helen Keller Humanitarian Award. CEO Jim Alling will accept the award at the gala, to take place at 583 Park Avenue in New York City.
“Helen Keller International has demonstrated the quality, sustainability, and the passion behind their programs,” says Alling. “These are the type of people that we're looking to have a chance to grow with. Doubling our business means we will also be doubling our social impact; we won't be able to achieve that goal though without a great partner like HKl. Let’s hope for at least the next 20 years and then some.”
Alling joins celebrity chef Carla Hall as an honorary chair of the event. A co-host of ABC’s Emmy award winning, popular lifestyle series “The Chew”, Hall is best known for competing on Bravo’s “Top Chef” and “Top Chef: All Stars.” The evening will also feature performances from renowned Senegalese musician Faada Freddy and the Webby Award-winning PS22 Chorus from Staten Island.
“For TOMS, philanthropy means not giving but partnering,” says Kathy Spahn, President and CEO of Helen Keller International. “We are thrilled to work so closely on our sight-saving programs with a company so committed to create better lives through its business model.”
Likewise, HKI’s programs are built on strong partnerships with governments, civil society, the private sector, and communities in 20 countries across Africa and Asia, as well as here in the United States. Reaching millions, and delivered efficiently, HKI’s strategy is designed to have lasting impact by strengthening families and health systems. Respected for the range and rigor of their work, HKI is a top-rated charity, founded in 1915 in New York, New York.
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