FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 2011 Disability Pride Dinner & Independence Awards
Local Non-Profit Celebrates the Lives of People who are “Living Well With A Disability”
Three Rivers Center for Independent Living honors advocates and organizations who support people with disabilities in the pursuit of living well and dreaming big during annual Disability Pride Dinner.
PITTSBURGH – Three Rivers Center for Independent Living, once again, commemorates the monumental passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act as well as celebrates those in the community who are either living well with their disability or helping others to realize their goals, dreams and aspirations. This year’s gala will be held on Thursday, August 25, 2011 at the Omni William Penn Hotel, 530 William Penn Place, downtown Pittsburgh. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in the Urban Room at 5:30 p.m. will also feature jazz music by the legendary Ms. Etta Cox. Dinner and the Independence Awards ceremony follow from 7:00-9:00 p.m. This year’s Keynote Speaker is Frank Coonelly, President of the Pittsburgh Pirates. WQED broadcast journalist and host of OnQ Magazine, Chris Moore, will serve as the Master of Ceremonies and, with the assistance of Stanley Holbrook, TRCIL’s President & CEO, will present the Independence Awards.
Each year individuals, organizations or corporations who have significantly contributed to the lives of people in the disability community are recognized for their dedicated work through the Independence Awards. This year’s recipients include: Anne Pekruhn, in honor of her late husband, John ‘Bro’ Pekruhn receives The Lee H. Lacey Founder’s Award; Interim HealthCare receives The Corris V. Hammock Memorial Award; Fifth Third Bank receives The Senator John Heinz Memorial Award; and the Quality of Life Technology Center (QoLT) receives The Leonard C. Staisey Memorial Award. The recipient of this year’s Ruth & George Brenyo Achievement Award is planned as a surprise to the honoree. Guests will also have the opportunity to meet the newly crowned 2012 Ms. Wheelchair America and 2011 Ms. Wheelchair Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh’s own Josie Badger, an emerging leader in the independent living movement.
The event’s Honorary Chair is Mary Anne Papale, Director of Community Affairs for Highmark, Inc. The Honorary Dinner Committee includes Betsi Teti, Heather Chronis, Jackie Dixon and Jennifer Danquist. Sponsors at the Gold Level include Highmark, Inc. Silver Level includes Fifth Third Bank and the Graham Company. Bronze Level sponsors include Horovitz, Rudoy & Roteman and Progressive Mobility Products Corporation. The Sponsor Level includes Blackburn’s Medical Equipment & Supplies, The City of Pittsburgh Housing Authority, Interim HealthCare, Inc., Spectrum Construction & Design, Tucker Arensberg and United Seating & Mobility, Inc. Floral arrangements are compliments of Alex’s Flowers as well as additional in-kind donations from Denise Bogden, Ed Burau, Custom Contracting, Roxanne Huss, Laura Kronk, the Pittsburgh Pirates, SnS Contracting Service and UCP/CLASS.
Three Rivers Center for Independent Living, with its headquarters located at 900 Rebecca Avenue, Pittsburgh, is a consumer-controlled, community-based, cross-disability, non-residential, private non-profit organization designed and operated by individuals with disabilities and provides an array of independent living services. TRCIL serves consumers throughout Western Pennsylvania with satellite offices in Greensburg, Washington and New Castle.
TRCIL’s mission is “to empower people with disabilities to enjoy self-directed, personally meaningful lives by providing outstanding consumer-controlled services and by advocating for effective community change.” TRCIL’s vision “is a world in which all physical, attitudinal, communication and systems barriers are eliminated and people with disabilities have equal opportunities and the right to full participation in society.”
For more information about this event, contact Michala Smith, Strategic Development Manager, at 412.371.7700 ext. 181, TTY 412.371.6230 or email msmith@trcil.org.
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