Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas will welcome the new Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) President, Dr. Leana Wen, as keynote speaker at the 2019 Dallas Annual Awards Luncheon. The luncheon takes place at noon on Monday, March 4th at the Hilton Anatole.
The 2019 event, chaired by Ann Hobson, has a goal of topping the over $1 million raised at last year’s event to fund science-based sex education and essential healthcare services like breast and cervical cancer screenings, birth control including IUDs and implants, STI testing and treatment, HIV testing, HPV vaccines, PrEP and PEP HIV prevention medication, gender-affirming hormone therapy, medication and surgical abortion, and other healthcare services. At the 2018 Dallas Annual Awards luncheon 1,200 guests enjoyed a candid conversation with actor and advocate, Cynthia Nixon.
Dr. Leana Wen’s personal story is powerful and compelling. She immigrated from China to the US at the age of eight with her family. In the early years of their life in the United States, her family relied on Planned Parenthood healthcare. A board-certified emergency physician, Dr. Wen was a Rhodes Scholar, Clinical Fellow at Harvard, consultant with the World Health Organization, and professor at George Washington University. Dr. Wen achieved national recognition as a leader in healthcare advocacy as she served as the Commissioner of Health in Baltimore until she accepted the position at PPFA. Dr. Wen is the first physician to serve as the president of PPFA in nearly 50 years, and brings her deep experience in healthcare advocacy to our national mission. Last month Dr. Wen publicly discussed her own experience with cervical cancer a decade ago, bringing awareness to the importance of access to quality reproductive healthcare and early detection.
Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas will present The Gertrude Shelburne Humanitarian Award and The Gertrude Shelburne Volunteer of the Year Award at the 2019 Luncheon. Former Planned Parenthood Medical Directors, Dr. Mark Godat and Dr. Darrel Jordan, will receive the Humanitarian award, and members of the Planned Parenthood Dallas Leadership Council will receive the Volunteer of the Year award.
The 2019 Dallas Annual Awards Luncheon Committee includes: Jennifer L. Adams, Debbie Andres, Ellenore and Kirk Baker, Debbie and Gerald Barnes, Pam and John Beckert, Flauren Bender, Lindsay and George Billingsley, Julie Mamolen Bleicher, Jessica Bass Bolander, Victoria Brown, Rebecca W. Bruder, Nancy Carlson, Sherri Cook, Giles Davidson, Sally and Tom Dunning, Abby M. Evans, Evelyn Fagadau, Patricia W. Fagadau, Regen and Jeff Fearon, Amy Fikes, Sara and David Gail, Rebecca Goetz, Gail Griswold, Carmen Gross, Marguerite Steed Hoffman, Diana Howard, Amy Isom, Lisa and Peter Kraus, Carol and John Levy, Edie Lycke, Leslie MacLean, Janie and Cappy McGarr, Suzanne and Patrick McGee, Megan McManemin, Sydney McQuoid, Jolie Newman, Yvette Ostolaza, Gwen Parker, Selwyn Rayzor, Katherine Perot Reeves, Vinita Schroeder, MD, Gowri Sharma, Abigail Sinwell, Debby Hay Spradley, Jill Stolbach, Laurie-Jo Straty, Sue Wagley, Carolyn Roes Walters, Amy Abboud Ware, and De’Edra S. Williams.
For sponsorship and ticket information go to events@ppgt.org or call 214-302-8382.
Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas has been a trusted source of reproductive healthcare and health education in Texas for more than 80 years. Last year nearly 85,000 Texans were served by health centers in Austin, Corsicana, Dallas, Denton, El Paso, Fort Worth, Paris, Tyler, Waco, and surrounding communities. For more information visit www.ppgreatertx.org or follow @ppgreatertx on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.