Reservations are now being taken for the Nov. 6 dinner at the
Strategic Air Command Museum to present Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, Commander
in Chief of the U.S. Army Central Command during Operation Desert Storm
in 1990, with the first Ambassador of Hope Award from the University of
Nebraska Medical Center Eppley Cancer Center.
The award dinner for Schwarzkopf is being coordinated by the Friends
of the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center, a community-based organization committed
to raising funds for cancer research. Honorary chairpersons for the award
dinner are David and Peggy Sokol and Dave and Liz Karnes. General chairpersons
for the event are Peggy Sokol and Gloria Dunbar.
Cost of the dinner is $150 with patrons paying $300. Patrons will
be able to attend a private reception prior to the dinner with Gen. Schwarzkopf.
The patron reception will begin at 6:30 p.m. with the dinner at 7:30 p.m.
Corporate tables and patron tables are available. To make reservations,
call Carol Russell, reservations chairperson, at (402) 895-6589 or call
the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center at (402) 559-4090.
Invitations will be sent throughout the community in the near
future. Proceeds raised from the dinner will go toward cancer research
at the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center.
The Ambassador of Hope Award will be given periodically by the
Friends of the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center to individuals who have made a
significant contribution in the fight against cancer through their research
or patient care activities or by raising the public’s awareness of cancer.
A prostate cancer survivor, Gen. Schwarzkopf has been actively
involved with several organizations dedicated to fighting cancer. He is
national spokesperson for prostate cancer awareness and is a board member
for Cap CURE, the Association for the Cure of Cancer of the Prostate. He
is serving as chairman of the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship’s
March on Washington, which will be held Sept. 26.
Since his retirement from the military in 1991, Gen. Schwarzkopf,
64, has remained busy. His autobiography, “It Doesn’t Take a Hero,” became
a best seller. He also has participated in six critically acclaimed television
specials, including the Peabody Award winning special, “D-Day.” He is currently
working with NBC to produce programs about what’s right with America.
In addition to his commitment to cancer, Gen. Schwarzkopf also
has been active in numerous conservation efforts, including serving on
the board of governors of the Nature Conservancy and as national spokesperson
for the Recovery of the Grizzly Bear. He also is involved in a variety
of programs directed toward helping children with chronic illnesses and
has headed a major fund raising event aimed at finding a cure for paralysis.
Gen. Schwarzkopf earned his undergraduate degree in 1956 from
the United States Military Academy in West Point, N.Y. and his master’s
degree from the University of Southern California in 1964. During his more
than 30 years in the military, he received nearly every major award, including
the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Army Distinguished Service
Medal, two Oak Leaf Clusters, three Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts.
He also is the only American to be made an honorary Private First Class
in the French Foreign Legion.
Among his numerous civilian awards, Gen. Schwarzkopf counts the
Father of the Year Award in 1991, the Vince Lombardi Award of Excellence
in 1995, and the Gilda Radner Award of Courage in 1996.
UNMC is the only public academic health science center in the
state. Through its commitment to research, education and patient care,
UNMC has established itself as one of the country’s leading centers for
cancer research and treatment and solid organ transplantation. UNMC’s educational
programs are responsible for training more health professionals practicing
in Nebraska than any other institution.
The UNMC Eppley Cancer Center is one of approximately 50 National
Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers. Of the $34.1 million in research
grants and contracts awarded to UNMC in 1997-98, Cancer Center researchers
generated more than $20 million.