Amazing Achievements Earn Honors for Five Heroes




Inaugural Heroes of the Hemisphere celebrates agents of change from Cuba, Colombia, Haiti & El Salvador

      Five extraordinary activists from Cuba, Colombia, Haiti and El Salvador were honored by the Pan American Development Foundation for their achievements in contributing to the development of their communities and helping to make a better world for some of their most disadvantaged neighbors.

      The awards were presented at a special inaugural event called Heroes of the Hemisphere, which was held on the luxurious Liberty of the Seas cruise ship docked at the Port of Miami and attended by more than 400 guests.

      "These five individuals are being honored because they took the initiative to create a better world for the least fortunate around them," Philippe Armand, First Vice President of the Pan American Development Foundation's Board of Trustees, told the audience. "None of them set out to be a hero. But through their efforts, they lifted up the hopes, dreams and realities of so many people. They have made a mark on humanity."

      Organized by PADF and hosted by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., the Heroes of the Hemisphere event raised awareness of PADF's work in economic development, enhancing civil society and responding to natural disasters in Latin America and the Caribbean. 

      To show their support for the six Heroes, a number of distinguished guests attended the luncheon and awards ceremony, including:
  • PADF Goodwill Ambassador and actor Jimmy Jean-Louis (The Haitian in NBC's Heroes)
  • Actor-comedian Rainn Wilson (Dwight in NBC's The Office)
  • Former NBA star Tim Hardaway
  • Teresa Rodriguez (Univision's host of Aqui y Ahora)
  • Ambassador Albert Ramdin (Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States)
  • Patrick Delatour of the Haitian government
  • Miami-based writer Carlos Alberto Montaner
  • The emcee was Satcha Pretto Padilla (Univision's anchor of Primer Impacto Fin de Semana).
      PADF was honored to have the support of the internationally acclaimed contemporary artist Romero Britto for the event. Always the artistic innovator, Britto unleashed his brilliant, colorful style on the Heroes of the Hemisphere signature logo of a thumbprint and its tagline "Make Your Mark on Humanity."  Britto’s canvas was on display at the Oct. 24 event, and a group of VIPs placed their own fingerprint on it to symbolize their personal "Mark on Humanity."

    "As an artist, it is my desire to share a vision of hope, happiness and beauty with the world," says Britto. "PADF's Heroes of the Hemisphere celebrates five people who have done extraordinary work to create a brighter future for the less fortunate among us. This piece is my way of contributing to their recognition."

      At the same event, Chevron was recognized for its support of PADF's Disaster Management and Emergency Response Program, which has helped hundreds of thousands of people in Latin America and the Caribbean since its inception in 2007.

       "Not only is Chevron a founding supporter of this innovative program, today the company is PADF’s single largest private donor," Armand explained. In one recent donation, Chevron supported PADF's shipment of four cargo containers of fortified rice and corn to the victims of Guatemala’s worst drought in more than three decades. The donation will ensure that thousands of families will not starve.

      In addition to Chevron and Royal Caribbean Cruises, PADF's partners at the 2009 Heroes of the Hemisphere included MTV, Sony Music, Univision, IMCA, Greenberg-Traurig, the University of Miami Center for Hemispheric Policy, San Antonio-based Interlex, Star Services Events of Miami, RD Event Consulting of Pinecrest, Fla., Caribbean Magazine, Citi and Caterpillar.