Dr Anthony Fauci Honored at NIAF 45th Anniversary Gala
Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was honored for the 2020 Leonardo da Vinci Award for Leadership in Health and Science on the 45thedition of the National Italian American Foundation Anniversary Gala. It took place on Saturday, October 31stin Washington DC, but celebrated virtually due to the current situation.
Dr. Fauci has been advising six presidents on health issues since 1984. By being at frontline of the US efforts, he has dealt with issues such as SARS, the swine flu, EBOLA and ultimately, COVID-19. Therefore, during the gala, special appearances, including figures such as Al Pacino, Andrea Bocelli, Leonardo DiCaprio, Francis Ford Coppola and John Turturro, have provided with personal tributes to the Dr. itself.
“While COVID is keeping most of us at home these days, people like Dr. Anthony Fauci go to work each morning with one goal: to see our nation through the most devastating pandemic in a century,” mentioned actor DiCaprio. The gala was filled with words that commemorate Fauci’s achievements and commitments to public service throughout the past decades. And in recognition to the Dr.’s work, NIAF started “The Fauci Fellowship” in which a grant of $100,000 has been given for post-doctoral research.
NIAF is a non-profit organization that aims to preserve the Italo-American heritage. By it being the US’s most important Italian-American organization, it strengthens the ties between both cultures by providing mutual understanding through education in order to help connect the community with their roots.
Alex Heymert Siles
