NEW YORK (November 23, 2020) — The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF) today announces it has created the Edmond J. Safra Humanitarian Award to honor Lily Safra, chairwoman of The Edmond J. Safra Foundation and a founding member of MJFF’s Board of Directors. Mrs. Safra is a globally recognized philanthropist with a legacy of serving others through her immense generosity and compassion for humanity.
“Lily understands our mission through informed generosity and supports us with spirit and affection,” said Michael J. Fox at the Foundation’s virtual Research Roundtable on November 17, 2020. “Her generosity of spirit is unmatched. She wants us to find a cure, and she’s going to do everything she can to help us. I couldn’t be more grateful.”
About The Edmond J. Safra Humanitarian Award
MJFF created The Edmond J. Safra Humanitarian Award in 2020. It recognizes Lily Safra's commitment to speeding better treatments and a cure for Parkinson’s disease (PD), and to improving quality of life for people and families living with the disease today. It is named in honor of the late Edmond J. Safra, international banker and founder of The Edmond J. Safra Foundation.
As the visionary chairwoman of The Edmond J. Safra Foundation, Mrs. Safra has supported a wide range of MJFF’s scientific programs and accomplishments including catalyzing understanding of Parkinson’s genetics since the pioneering Edmond J. Safra Genetics Consortia in 2003; enabling research to support the emergence of the alpha-synuclein protein as a critical target for therapeutic development in PD; and providing the first leadership gift to jumpstart MJFF’s landmark clinical study, the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative. The Edmond J. Safra Foundation also has supported The Edmond J. Safra Fellowship in Movement Disorders, a program that is currently on track to graduate 48 new PD specialists around the world by 2025.
As a global humanitarian, Mrs. Safra’s complete body of philanthropy extends to education, science and medicine, religion, culture, and humanitarian relief in over 50 countries.
“You have kindly thanked me and the Edmond J. Safra Foundation for our support over many years, but we are the ones who are grateful to you,” said Mrs. Safra as she accepted the award. “For 20 years, The Michael J. Fox Foundation has led a revolution in Parkinson’s disease research, getting us closer and closer every day to effective new treatments. I am so proud to be part of this extraordinary organization.”
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About The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research:
As the world's largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson's research, The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to accelerating a cure for Parkinson's disease and improved therapies for those living with the condition today. The Foundation pursues its goals through an aggressively funded, highly targeted research program coupled with active global engagement of scientists, Parkinson's patients, business leaders, clinical trial participants, donors and volunteers. In addition to funding $1 billion in research to date, the Foundation has fundamentally altered the trajectory of progress toward a cure. Operating at the hub of worldwide Parkinson's research, the Foundation forges groundbreaking collaborations with industry leaders, academic scientists and government research funders; increases the flow of participants into Parkinson's disease clinical trials with its online tool, Fox Trial Finder; promotes Parkinson's awareness through high-profile advocacy, events and outreach; and coordinates the grassroots involvement of thousands of Team Fox members around the world.
For more information, visit us at https://www.michaeljfox.org.
Media Contact:
Allison Boiles
The Michael J. Fox Foundation
aboiles@michaeljfox.org
212-509-099