Public Service/Volunteering
People of the Year
News Release
December 1, 2004
Richard Gere, Tom Brokaw Among Honorees at AARP The Magazine IMPACT Awards
Actor and philanthropist Richard Gere; Princess Yasmin Aga Khan; NBC Nightly News Anchor Tom Brokaw; community activist Alice Coles; Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman William Donaldson; civil rights leader Antonia Hernández; SARS researcher Linda J. Saif, PhD.; actress Jane Seymour; George Wein, founder of the Newport Jazz Festival; and Gloria E. White-Hammond, MD, international human rights advocate, are this year's recipients of the AARP The Magazine IMPACT Awards, given to individuals age 50 and over in recognition of their lasting contributions to the public good. ABC News' Barbara Walters will present the awards at the New York Public Library luncheon on Monday, December 6, 2004.
"Innovation, leadership and service to society create social impact, which AARP believes is the essential element to navigate a changing society. These are the elements that define the greatness of an organization or an individual. And today's recipients of the AARP Magazine Impact Award stand as evidence of that greatness," says Bill Novelli, AARP's Chief Executive Officer.
"The world is a better place thanks to bold people like these," added Steve Slon, editor of AARP The Magazine. "We're delighted to highlight their work as examples of all that can be achieved by those audacious enough to continually question the status quo."
Candidates were nominated by their peers in fields ranging from the arts and business to science, medicine, and social activism. They were judged on innovative thinking and the enduring legacy of their accomplishment.
The winners of the IMPACT Awards are to be featured in the January/February 2005 issue of AARP The Magazine, complete with profiles on each of the award winners. AARP The Magazine is the largest circulation magazine in the United States being delivered into 22 million homes.
AARP Publications is the leading authority on the 50+ market. AARP Publications consists of a family of magazines including: AARP The Magazine, AARP Bulletin, the newspaper of 50+ America; and AARP Segunda Juventud, a bimonthly newspaper for Hispanics 50 and over.
AARP is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization dedicated to making life better for people 50 and older. We provide information and resources; engage in legislative, regulatory and legal advocacy; assist members in serving their local communities; and offer a wide range of unique benefits, special products, and services for our members.