Condoleezza Rice, U.S. Secretary of State (2005-2009), will be honored at the Ambassador of Hope Gala on Oct. 26 at Qwest Center Omaha.
Hosted by the Friends of the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center, the gala is held every two years and is one of the top fundraising events in the city. In 2008, the event raised more than $1.1 million to support cancer research at the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center.
“We’re extremely honored to have Condoleezza Rice headline our event,” said Ken Cowan, M.D., Ph.D., director of the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center. “She has been a strong advocate for breast cancer research and screenings and has done much to raise the public’s awareness of cancer. As a nation, we’ve come a long way since 1970 when Rice’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, but we still have much to accomplish in order to defeat the second leading cause of cancer death in women.”
Dr. Rice was 15 when her mother, Angelena, was diagnosed. She died in 1985.
While in Omaha, Dr. Rice will continue the national tour of her memoir, "Extraordinary Ordinary People," which will be released in October. Prior to the Gala, she will do an afternoon book signing at The Bookworm in Countryside Village.
That night, she’ll receive the Ambassador of Hope Award, which is given to individuals who have made significant contributions in the fight against cancer through research, patient care activities or by raising public awareness of cancer. Only five others have received the award: Robin Roberts, Tom Brokaw, Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, Sam Donaldson and Chuck Durham.
A native of Birmingham, Ala., Dr. Rice is a professor of political science at Stanford University and the Thomas and Barbara Stephenson Senior Fellow on Public Policy at the Hoover Institution.
As the 66th Secretary of State, she focused on engaging America’s many partners around the world to build and sustain democratic, well-governed states that would respond to the needs of their people. From January 2005 to 2009, she worked with the Department of State to advance transformational diplomacy, an effort to implement new diplomatic foundations aimed at securing a future of freedom for all people.
She also has been involved in a number of humanitarian pursuits, most notably with PEPFAR (The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) and in creating and serving on the board of the Millennium Challenge Corporation. Both endeavors increased aid to developing countries and the world’s poorest, most disadvantaged populations. PEPFAR was the largest commitment of funds from any single nation to combat a single disease at any time in history, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation promotes sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction.
Prior to serving as America’s chief diplomat, she served four years as President George W. Bush’s assistant to the president for National Security Affairs (National Security advisor) from 2001 to 2005.
Howard and Rhonda Hawks are honorary chairs of this year’s event. Event co-chairs are Lisa Mellen and Angie Miller.
Tickets for this year’s Ambassador of Hope Gala are $150 per person. Table sponsorships range from $1,500 to $10,000. For more information, call 402-559-4179, or go to www.nebraskahope.org.
The UNMC Eppley Cancer Center is a National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated cancer center — a distinction held by only 64 centers in the country. The UNMC Eppley Cancer Center is the only NCI-designated center in the state of Nebraska. The UNMC Eppley Cancer Center is also one of the 13 founding members of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), an alliance of the world’s leading cancer centers. This recognition means the most current and innovative treatment options are available to Cancer Center patients through the integration of cutting-edge research into state-of-the-art care. Cancer Center physicians and scientists work together to quickly translate discoveries made in the laboratory into innovative treatments for the patient.
As the state’s only academic health science center, UNMC is on the leading edge of health care. Breakthroughs are possible because hard-working researchers, educators and clinicians are resolved to work together to fuel discovery. In 2009, UNMC’s extramural research support topped $100 million for the first time, resulting in the creation of 3,600 jobs in Nebraska. UNMC’s academic excellence is shown through its award-winning programs, and its educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution. Through its commitment to education, research, patient care and outreach, UNMC and its hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center, have established themselves as one of the country’s leading health care centers. UNMC’s physician practice group, UNMC Physicians, includes 550 physicians in 50 specialties and subspecialties who practice primarily in The Nebraska Medical Center. For more information, go to UNMC’s Web site at
www.unmc.edu.