Kathy Ireland to Receive Humanitarian Award at JFC's Annual Dinner
The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation will join with Jewelers for Children (JFC) and other charities on Sunday to celebrate JFC's Children's Day, which commemorates the jewelry industry's charitable efforts on behalf of children throughout the year. This second annual Children's Day concludes with JFC's 12th annual Facets of Hope dinner held in Las Vegas, Nevada, with the theme It's All About the Kids.
In recognition of the Foundation's 12-year partnership with JFC, Foundation Vice President of Global Business Planning Trish Karlin and Foundation Ambassador Cristina Pena will attend this year's dinner. Pena will also present philanthropist, businesswoman, and former model Kathy Ireland with the first Jewelers for Children Humanitarian Award.
"For more than a decade, the support of Jewelers for Children has allowed the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation to fund innovative research and provide more children, mothers, and families with the HIV prevention and treatment services they need to live healthy lives," said Foundation President and CEO Charles Lyons.
"We are thrilled that Trish Karlin and Cristina Pena will be joining us at this year's event, and that Cristina will be presenting Kathy with the Humanitarian Award," said David Rocha, executive director of Jewelers for Children. "Cristina is a wonderful young advocate for children living with HIV and has done so much throughout her life to bring to light the issue of pediatric HIV and AIDS."
Pena, who was born with HIV and speaks across the country on behalf of the Foundation's work, recently participated in a Youth and HIV/AIDS meeting at the White House hosted by the Office of National AIDS Policy.
JFC was one of the earliest contributors to the Foundation's global programs, and has generously supported initiatives for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa and India. They have also provided crucial funding for other Foundation programs, such as the International Leadership Awards (ILA), which support physicians, scientists, and health specialists who are addressing the challenges of HIV/AIDS in countries severely impacted by the pandemic. Since the partnership began in 1998, JFC has contributed more than $7 million to the Foundation's lifesaving work.
"The support of JFC has helped us make great strides in fighting AIDS globally, but there are still nearly 1,200 children infected with HIV every day. These infections are entirely preventable," added Lyons. "We have the science, we have the medicines, and together with the continued support of Jewelers for Children, we can eliminate pediatric HIV and AIDS."
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