NEW YORK, Nov. 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Last night, WebMD Health Corp. (NASDAQ: WBMD), the leading source of health information, honored its 2015 Health Hero award winners who were recognized for their remarkable dedication to changing the healthcare landscape and for providing inspiration to those looking to overcome their own health challenges.
WebMD Health Hero Advocate Winner Ronald "Jake" Clark, WebMD Health Hero Scientist Award Winner Dr. Bennet I. Omalu, Fran Drescher, WebMD Health Hero People's Choice Award Winner Glenn Close, CEO WebMD David Schlanger, WebMD Health Hero Prodigy Award Winner Kenneth Shinozuka, Jessie Close and Good Morning America co-host Robin Roberts Attend the WebMD Health Hero Awards Gala at TimesCenter on November 5, 2015
Jessie Close, WebMD Health Hero People's Choice Award Winner Glenn Close, and Seth Rogen Attend the WebMD Health Hero Awards Gala at TimesCenter on November 5, 2015
President WebMD Steve Zatz, Jessie Close, WebMD Health Hero People's Choice Award Winner Glenn Close, Seth Rogen, WebMD Editor-in-Chief Kristy Hammam, and CEO WebMD David Schlanger Attend the WebMD Health Hero Awards Gala at TimesCenter on November 5, 2015
Good Morning America co-host Robin Roberts and Kevin Lacz Attend the WebMD Health Hero Awards Gala at TimesCenter on November 5, 2015
Fran Drescher Attends the WebMD Health Hero Awards Gala at TimesCenter on November 5, 2015
Seth Rogen and WebMD Health Hero Prodigy Award Winner Kenneth Shinozuka Attend the WebMD Health Hero Awards Gala at TimesCenter on November 5, 2015
WebMD Health Hero Scientist Award Winner Dr. Bennet I. Omalu and Harry Carson Attend the WebMD Health Hero Awards Gala at TimesCenter on November 5, 2015
WebMD Health Hero People's Choice Award Winner Glenn Close and Jessie Close Attend the WebMD Health Hero Awards Gala at TimesCenter on November 5, 2015
Fran Drescher, WebMD Health Hero Scientist Award Winner Dr. Bennet I. Omalu, WebMD Health Hero People's Choice Award Winner Glenn Close, and Jessie Close Attend the WebMD Health Hero Awards Gala at TimesCenter on November 5, 2015
Good Morning America co-host Robin Robertskicked off the evening by welcoming the crowd and recognizing this year's outstanding class of winners. Glenn Close was selected by the WebMD community as the 2015 People's Choice Award winner; Kenneth Shinozukawas presented the Prodigy Award; Ronald "Jake" Clark received the Advocate Award; and Dr. Bennet I. Omalureceived the Scientist Award.
"Every single one of tonight's heroes faced a crossroads in their lives when -- moved by compassion, moved by love, moved by the simple human desire to make things better in a time of difficulty – they made a conscious decision to act; to invent; to deliver; to show the simple, magnificent power of the human spirit. I hope their stories inspire each of us to engage our own inner hero to act." - Robin Roberts.
Seth Rogen: "Over the years, my wife and I have really tried to get young people - specifically - engaged to fight Alzheimer's. When I heard about Kenneth, I was completely blown away. If I was more confident and cooler in high school, I could literally be your father, which is horrifying but kind of cool to think. You would have been of great pride to the Rogen family," Rogen said with a laugh.
While introducing her sister, Jessie Close thanked Glenn for saving her life before she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. "To say I am grateful to be alive, grateful to Glenn, is an understatement. Mental illness was not something we discussed as a family. It was Glenn and our mother who saved my life, Glenn who brought me to the hospital and Glenn who stays in close touch."
"The 1 in 4 of us who are touched in some way by mental disorders need to hug each other – a lot; need to be there for each other through thick and thin; and need to help people understand that whether you are suffering from bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, cancer or diabetes, you are not your illness. You are part of the human condition – the human family – worthy, like everyone, of love and respect." - Glenn Close
The star-studded event included Seth Rogen, Harry Carson, Jessie Close, Kevin Laczand Fran Drescher. The evening also featured musical performances by Amos Lee, Mary McBrideand The Broadway Boys with hit songs including, Violin, I Don't Need No Doctor, and Heroes.
This year's WebMD Health Hero Awards Gala was supported by Allergan (allergan.com) and Cancer Treatment Centers of America (cancercenter.com). WebMD's Health Heroes each receive a $10,000 donation from WebMD to his or her cause and will be featured in the November/December issue of WebMD Magazine. In addition, each winner was presented with a custom designed award created by Thingsmiths using 3D printing technology.
To read more about WebMD's Health Heroes, or to learn more about the Awards Gala produced by Scott Mauro Entertainment, Inc./ Scott Mauro, Executive Producer, visit www.webmd.com/healthheroes.
Additional images and video available upon request.
About WebMD WebMD Health Corp. (NASDAQ: WBMD) is the leading provider of health information services, serving consumers, physicians, healthcare professionals, employers, and health plans through our public and private online portals, mobile platforms and health-focused publications. The WebMD Health Network includes WebMD Health, Medscape, MedicineNet, emedicineHealth, RxList, theheart.org, Medscape Education and other owned WebMD sites.
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