NEW ORLEANS – The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) has selected Kim Sport to receive its top award – the 2017 Hannah G. Solomon (HGS) Award.
This award is given annually to a community leader who exemplifies the qualities of NCJW founder Hannah G. Solomon, and has brought about significant change through their volunteer leadership.
Sport will be honored at the upcoming Hannah G. Solomon Luncheon on Monday, Oct. 16, at the Marriott Hotel, 555 Canal St., from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
NCJW is a grassroots organization of volunteers and advocates who turn progressive ideals into action, reps said. Inspired by Jewish values, NCJW strives for social justice by improving the quality of life for women, children, families and by safeguarding individual rights and freedoms.
“Sport exemplifies volunteer leadership that brings forth social change,” said NCJW president Barbara Kaplinsky. “We are especially thrilled to be honoring Ms. Sport during the month of October as it is Breast Cancer and Domestic Violence Awareness month; two areas of focus that she has impacted greatly. She makes our city, state and country a better place for all.”
After retiring from an accomplished and renowned legal career in 2000, Sport started volunteering for many nonprofits in the GNO area, reps said. Sport utilized her legal and persuasive skills to advocate and raise millions of dollars for a multitude of human service agencies. Sport has worked on ground-breaking women’s breast cancer health initiatives through her work with The American Cancer Society and the Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, LA Cancer Research Consortium and the Ochsner/Baptist Medical Center. She co-founded Breastoration, an advocacy and financial assistance organization, to help women facing mastectomies. In the 2016 legislative session, Sport drafted a bill, which passed unanimously to assure that health insurance providers cover every stage of a women’s breast reconstruction.
Sport also impacted legislative change on domestic violence issues. While functioning as the first chair of the Louisiana Commission to Prevent Domestic Violence, and while still working as United Way’s public policy chair, Sport worked to see more than 70 provisions of law amended or enacted to provide greater protection and services to domestic violence victims and to appropriately treat and punish abusers. This work continues, not only on domestic violence, but also on EITC, equal pay and eradication of poverty, reps said.
Sport also made meaningful and impactful strides in the support for education and children’s rights including Jefferson Dollars for Scholars and United Way’s Women’s Leadership Council and its ‘Success by Six’ program.
Sport joins an exemplary group of local community leaders who were awarded the Hannnah Solomon Award, reps said. Each of the following honorees has been recognized as a catalyst for social change: Ana and Juan Gershanik, Julie Schwam Harris, Marjorie and Dr. Scott Cowen, Ruth Kullman, Mary Keller Zervigon, Joan Berenson, Nancy Marsiglia, Carol B. Wise, Phyllis M. Taylor, Carol Good, Inge Elsas, Betty Wisdom, Melba and Moise Steeg, Jr., Babs Isaacson, Madalyn Schenk, Barbara Herman, Marjorie and Roger Bissinger, Hugo Kahn, Eddy Rosen, Harry Blumenthal, Jr., Shirley and Dr. Robert Haspel, Pres Kabacoff, Julanne Isaacson, Sybil Morial, Donald Mintz, Grace Hudson, Diana Lewis, The Honorable Miriam Waltzer, Elizabeth Rack, The Honorable Joan B. Armstrong, Sunny Norman, Norma Freiberg, Mike Brenner, Rosa F. Keller, Barbara Lemann, Roy Schwarz, Rosalie Cohen, Florence Schornstein, Sara Stone, Millie McClendon Charles, Jane K. Buchsbaum, Edith Schulhofer, Sarah Davis, Helen Mervis, Edith Rosenwald Stern, Olga Jackson, Thomas Godchaux, Myra Soboloff, , Margery Stich and Rena Wilson.
The Hannah G. Solomon Award and Luncheon Committee is comprised of Mimi Schlesinger, chair of the NCJW Award Selection Committee; Sue Singer, chair NCJW Luncheon Committee; president Barbara Kaplinsky; vice president Sarah Covert and committee members: Barbara Bresler, Loel Weil Samuel, Vivian Cahn, Dana Shepard, Millie Davis Kohn, Ann Thompson, Joyce Pulitzer and Liz Yager.
