Ellis Island Medal of Honor to Be Presented to Salah Foundation Executive Director Noreen Salah Burpee
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – Noreen Salah Burpee, executive director of the Salah Foundation, a private foundation located in Fort Lauderdale that supports non-profit organizations across the United States, will receive the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor sponsored by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO). Burpee, who was nominated for the award by the Broward Health Foundation, will be one of 100 outstanding Americans honored at this year’s ceremony to be held May 11, 2013, on Ellis Island in New York.
Created on the conviction of its founders that the diversity of the American people is what makes this nation great, NECO’s mission is to honor and preserve this diversity and to foster tolerance, respect and understanding among religious and ethnic groups.
The Ellis Island Medal of Honor, recognized each year by Congress in the Congressional Record, is awarded annually to American citizens who have distinguished themselves within their own ethnic groups while exemplifying the values of the American way of life. Past medalists include six U.S. Presidents, one foreign president, Nobel Prize winners and leaders of industry, education, the arts, sports and government, along with everyday Americans who have made freedom, liberty and compassion a part of their life’s work.
“To be recognized in this manner by NECO is an extraordinary achievement for any individual or organization and is the ultimate recognition of the impact that individual or organization has had on society,” said Dennis Stefanacci, President & CEO of the Broward Health Foundation. “There could not be a better example of a caring organization than the Salah Foundation, nor one more dedicated to making a difference.”
The Salah Foundation, funded upon the death of Noreen’s uncle, James M. Salah, is a living tribute to his lifelong commitment to advance and improve the lives of those in need. Over the past three years, the Foundation has awarded more than $8 million to 80 charitable organizations across nine states, and this year will provide an additional $5 million in grants to worthy institutions.
With a strong commitment to basic human needs, educating children at risk and improving the welfare of families in need, the Salah Foundation’s special interests lie in medical research, community development and self-sufficiency programs that are directed at the economically disadvantaged, the young, the elderly and the disabled. But the Foundation is much more than that, due in no small part to Burpee’s dedication to ensuring that her children understand the important role the Foundation plays through their role as members of the Foundation’s Board of Directors. Burpee’s hope is that through their participation in this decision-making process they, too, will share her passion for each organization served and carry on the mission of the Salah Foundation for many years to come.
For more information about Burpee, the Salah Foundation and Ellis Island Medal of Honor, visit www.salahfoundation.org and www.neco.org.
The Broward Health Foundation is the fundraising arm of Broward Health. The mission of the Broward Health Foundation is to improve the health of the community by providing resources to promote, support and enhance the programs and initiatives of Broward Health. For more information, visit www.BrowardHealthFoundation.org.