NEW YORK, NY(SMIWIRE,11.02.18)-The International Rescue Committe, a global non-profit organization that comes to the aid of the world's worst humanitarian crises, celebrated this evening (Thursday, November 01), its annual 2018 Rescue Benefit Dinner, honoring renowned fashion designer & philanthropist; Diane Von Furstenberg & Chairman & CEO of BlackRock, Inc, Laurence D. Fink, at The New York Hilton Midtown in New York City.

 

The Rescue Dinner is the International Rescue Committee’s signature annual fundraising gala. The event brings together more than 800 luminaries from the corporate, philanthropic, diplomatic and media communities in support of their (IRC) vital humanitarian work around the world.

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Notable Attendees included: Laurence D. Fink, Diane Von Furstenberg, Dabid Miliband, Barry Diller, Belly(Rapper/Musician), Kathryn Bigelow, Keegan-Micahel Key, Lester Holt, Tom Brokaw, Omar Lopez-Cepero, Henry Kissinger,Arianna Rosario, and many more...

The 2018  The IRC Freedom Award Honoree:

Diane Von Furstenberg ( Renowned Fashion Designer & Philanthropist) was presented with the 2018 Freedom Award, during award ceremony at the dinner.

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The International Rescue Committee first bestowed its Freedom Award for extraordinary contributions to the cause of refugees and human freedom to Willy Brandt. The year was 1957. The list of those who have received the Freedom Award reveals the remarkable ability of an individual to shape history and change for the better a world moving toward freedom for all. Past honorees who received this award were:

1957   Willy Brandt, 1958 Winston Churchill, 1959   William Donovan, 

1960 Richard E. Byrd, 1965   George Meany, 1966   David Dubinsky,1967   David Sarnoff

1969   Lucius D. Clay, 1970   Jacob K. Javits, 1975   Bruno Kreisky, 1976 Leo Cherne

1977   Hubert H. Humphrey, 1978  Joseph Buttinger, 1979 Mary Pillsbury Lord (posthumously)

1981   Lane Kirkland and Irena Kirkland, 1987  Elie Wiesel   John C. Whitehead

1989   Sadruddin Aga Khan,  Lech Walesa, 1990   Violetta Barrios de Chammorro

1991   Fang Lizhi and Li Shuxian,  Javier Perez de Cuellar

1992   Cyrus Vance, 1993   George Soros - Distinguished Humanitarian Award

            Dwayne O. Andreas - Distinguished Public Service Award

1994   Theodore J. Forstmann - Distinguished Humanitarian Award

            Felix G. Rohatyn - Distinguished Public Service Award

1995   Daw Aung San Suu Kyi - Special Freedom Award Recipent, in absentia

            Sadako Ogata,  Richard Holbrooke

1997   Robert P. DeVecchi, 1998   Madeleine Albright, 2001   John McCain

2002   Reynold Levy,  Hamid Karzai,2003   Vaclav Havel,

2004   Romeo Dallaire  - Distinguished Humanitarian Award

2005   George H.W. Bush and William J. Clinton, 2006   Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf

2007   United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

             Antonio Guterres and Angelina Jolie

2008   Kofi Annan, 2011   The Brokaw Family: Tom and Meredith Brokaw;

                 Dr. Jennifer Brokaw; Andrea Brokaw Simon;  Sarah Brokaw

2012   John C. Whitehead, 2013   George Soros, 2014   The Humanitarian Aid Worker

2015   Strive Masiyiwa, 2016   Spyros Galinos, 2017  Michael Bloomberg

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