Points of Light Honors Jesse Williams, Gabrielle Giffords, Mark Kelly and Dwight Howard with Daily Point of Light Awards at Service Unites

ATLANTA , June 20, 2018 /3BL Media/ – Service Unites 2018, powered by Points of Light, convened nearly 2,000 nonprofit, government, business and civic leaders from 38 countries to gain and share the knowledge, resources and connections needed to galvanize the power of people to create change globally. During the three-day Atlanta event, Points of Light recognized four inspiring changemakers by presenting them with Daily Point of Light Awards, a prestigious honor started by President George H.W. Bush during his presidency. Points of Light also announced the 2018 honorees of The Civic 50, a recognition of the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States.

The Daily Point of Light Award was established in 1990 by President Bush to celebrate the power of individuals to create change and improve the world. Honorees Jesse Williams, Gabrielle Giffords, Mark Kelly and Dwight Howard received their awards from Natalye Paquin, president and CEO of Points of Light, and Neil Bush, chairman of Points of Light. They join more than 6,200 previous recipients of the award.

• Daily Point of Light #6,285: Actor, director and producer Jesse Williams is well known for his work on ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” but gained international renown for his 2016 BET Humanitarian Award acceptance speech, where he eloquently covered a range of issues including police abuse and systemic inequities. At Service Unites 2018, he led a discussion with two young men from different walks of life who are using their skills, resources and voice for service and social justice. This is just one example of how Williams is shining a light on important issues, as well as those who are using their time and talent to effect change. He received his award during the Opening Plenary at the Fox Theater on June 18.
• Daily Point of Light #6,286: Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, Navy combat veteran and retired NASA astronaut Capt. Mark Kelly, have dedicated their lives to service. After Rep. Giffords was shot in the head near point-blank range, they founded Giffords: Courage to Fight Gun Violence to encourage elected officials to stand up for laws that make communities safer from gun violence. Their commitment and passion to service have helped countless individuals create change and become inspired to lead a civically engaged life. Giffords and Kelly received their award during The Civic 50 Gala at the Center for Civil and Human Rights on June 19.
• Daily Point of Light #6,287: NBA basketball star Dwight Howard shines both on and off the court. The NBA Community Assist Award winner and five-time winner of the DeVos Community Enrichment Award founded the D12 Foundation in 2011 to help close critical community “gaps” in three key areas of focus: early childhood education and literacy, facilitating the education of girls in East Africa, and empowering youth and developing leadership. Howard also serves the community through youth mentorship, including at the Boys and Girl Club in Charlotte that bears his name. He was surprised with the award during the Closing Plenary on June 20, following a discussion with Neil Bush about the importance of service.

Since 2011, The Civic 50 has provided a national standard for superior corporate citizenship and showcased how companies can use their time, skills and other resources to improve the quality of life in the communities where they do business. Honorees are public and private companies with U.S. operations and revenues of $1 billion or more, and are selected based on four dimensions of their U.S. community engagement program – investment, integration, institutionalization and impact. This year’s honorees were recognized on June 19 at a gala hosted by the Center for Civil and Human Rights. Learn more and view the full list of honorees at www.civic50.org.

Also honored at The Civic 50 Gala was the Corporate Volunteer Council of Greater Boston, recognized as the 2018 Corporate Volunteer Council of the Year. The award recognizes outstanding Corporate Volunteer Councils – local business networks that address community needs through workplace volunteering – that have a clear purpose, meaningful educational activities, and measurements for success. Entirely volunteer-led by a leadership committee comprised of local professionals, the CVC of Greater Boston’s membership is 150 companies strong and represents a potential volunteer workforce in the thousands. Points of Light board member Jeff Hoffman presented the award to Tori Hay, vice president of philanthropy for BNY Mellon and steering committee chair for the CVC of Greater Boston, who accepted on behalf of the organization.

About Service Unites

The Service Unites conference is powered by Points of Light – the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service. Points of Light inspires, equips and mobilizes millions of people to take action that is changing the world. Through affiliates in 250 cities and partnerships with thousands of nonprofits and corporations, Points of Light engages 5 million volunteers in 20 million hours of service each year. We bring the power of people to bear where it’s needed most. For more information, go to www.pointsoflight.org.

Access images of the Daily Point of Light Award honorees.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Frances Chang on behalf of Points of Light fchang@c21pr.com 404.814.1330

or

Meghann Gibbons Vice President, Marketing & Communications mgibbons@pointsoflight.org 404.979.2920