Former Secretaries of Veterans Affairs to be Honored at Paralyzed Veterans' Americana Gala

Paralyzed Veterans of America Celebrates 65 Years and Honors Those Improving the Quality of Life for Veterans with Disabilities

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Paralyzed Veterans of America (Paralyzed Veterans) will honor former Secretaries and Administrators of the Department of Veterans Affairs with its Champions of Veterans Award at its 2011 Americana Gala on Wednesday, October 12, 2011, at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. Expected to attend are The Hon. Edward Derwinski, The Hon. Hershel Gober, The Hon. Gordon H. Mansfield, The Hon. James Nicholson, The Hon. James Peake, The Hon. Anthony Principi, and The Hon. Harry Walters. The Award will be presented to them by U.S. Representatives Jeff Miller and Tim Walz.

Paralyzed Veterans' Americana Gala is an inspirational annual fundraising event. It honors extraordinary leaders who help our nation's veterans with disabilities and their families, and highlights the vital role that Paralyzed Veterans of America programs have in empowering veterans with disabilities. More than 300 guests are expected to attend this year's gala.  

Also being honored at this year's gala are corporations and supporters who have championed quality of life for all people with disabilities. Awardees include Allergan, being honored with The Achievable Award, for innovation in pharmaceutical advances that improve quality of life for veterans with disabilities; Highmark, being honored with The Unstoppable Award, for leadership and support of Paralyzed Veterans of America's National Veterans Wheelchair Games and Rehabilitative Sports & Recreation Programs for veterans with disabilities; Sears, being honored with The Accessible Award, for providing innovation in creating accessible living environments for veterans with disabilities; and Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA), being honored with The Employable Award, for leadership in  providing employment opportunities for veterans with disabilities.

"As we celebrate more than 65 years of working to make our world a better place for veterans with disabilities, we congratulate all of our honorees for their achievements, and for their continued support of this cause throughout the years," said Paralyzed Veterans' Executive Director, Homer S. Townsend, Jr. "We've seen a lot of positive changes for our veterans over the years, and we're proud to have been a driving force behind many of those changes. We look forward to the next 65 years of working to ensure that our veterans continue to get the quality health care they need, benefits they've earned and deserve and opportunities for training and jobs in order to get back to work—it's the least we can do for those who have sacrificed so much for our freedoms."

Co-chairs for this year's gala are Stephen J. Comber, vice president & general manager, Health Solutions Business Unit, SAIC; Michael Cowan, VADM USN (Ret.), director, Federal Health, Deloitte; and Scott Miller, general manager, Federal Business Unit, Microsoft.  

Master of Ceremonies for the event will be Jonathan Karl, senior political correspondent, ABC News.

Our nation is home to 25 million brave veterans and 54 million people with disabilities—with 12,000 new spinal cord injuries reported annually. Paralyzed Veterans works around the clock to create an America where veterans benefits and health care are fully funded; where everywhere is barrier free for everyone; where wheelchair sports are mainstream; and where our scientific community is amply funded to strive for new treatments and cures.

Proceeds from the gala will benefit Paralyzed Veterans of America, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, congressionally chartered veterans service organization.

Paralyzed Veterans was founded by a group of seriously injured American heroes from the "Greatest Generation" of World War II. They created a nonprofit organization to meet the challenges head that they faced back in the 1940s — from a medical community not ready to treat them, to an inaccessible world. For more than 65 years, Paralyzed Veterans national office and 34 chapters across the nation have been making America a better place for all veterans and people with disabilities. (www.pva.org)

SOURCE Paralyzed Veterans of America