NEW YORK, NY: The Anne Frank Center USA will hold its 22nd Annual Spirit of Anne Frank Awards (SAFA) on the 12th of June, 2018, honoring outstanding individuals and organizations who have worked to empower young people, defend human rights and freedom of speech, and fight injustice.
The SAFA Awards, held every year on or near Anne Frank’s birthday, celebrate and honor students, educators, citizens, peacemakers and role models who uphold Anne Frank’s ideals of hope, justice and equality. This year features five humanitarian honorees in addition to student scholarships and educator awards.
Held at Espace on West 42nd Street in New York, the SAFA awards this year will award The Spirit of Anne Frank Youth Empowerment Award to Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls (Amy Poehler and Meredith Walker, founders) for their work in helping young people, especially young women, to exercise their intellect and creativity and to use their gifts to excel in all fields, including arts, science, politics and culture.
The evening will also honor Racquel Harris Mason, Vice President of the Coca-Cola Company with the SAFA Business Community Leadership Award.
Dr Jud Newborn, founding historian, curator and co-creator of New York’s Museum of Jewish Heritage and co-author of Sophie Scholl and the White Rose, will receive the SAFA Human Writes Award.
Mariela Shaker, classical violinist, human rights activist, and Syrian refugee will receive the first-ever SAFA Promise KeeperPre Award, in recognition of a young person who has dedicated her passion and creative talents to raising awareness and fostering peace and understanding.
Finally, humanitarian, philanthropist, and Holocaust survivor Rosa Strygler, will be honored posthumously with the SAFA Lifetime Inspiration Award, as the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect launches an educational fund in her honor.
In addition, several scholarships will be awarded to outstanding students whose exemplary efforts inspire empowerment, inclusion and prevention of discrimination, as well as the Outstanding Educator Award in recognition of those whose work inspires the next generation of humanitarians.
The Spirit of Anne Frank Awards begins at 6.00pm, Tuesday 12th of June 2018, at Espace, 635 West 42nd Street, New York, NY. For more information and to book tickets please email gala@annefrank.com
Anne Frank Center USA preserves the legacy of the young diarist through education and arts programming, empowering people to be ambassadors of change. Across the U.S. and Canada, the AFC applies the lessons of the Holocaust and Anne Frank’s words to educate individuals and communities on the perils of intolerance and ways to counter prejudice. As Anne herself wrote, “… nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”
