Celebrating Heroes & Health

A rare glimpse inside the Governor’s private battle with cancer… The passionate story of a principal who is helping her students reach goals once thought unattainable… And the driving force behind a plucky little town in southeastern Washington - committed to becoming the healthiest community in our state... As any of the nearly 500 lucky attendees would tell you — the 2007 Heroes of Health Crystal Gala was a night to remember.

Washington Health Foundation President & CEO Greg Vigdor kicked off the 15 year anniversary celebration at Seattle’s Marriott Waterfront on November 17, with a look back at the extraordinary accomplishments of the Foundation’s first 15 years — and a visionary look ahead at the role the Healthiest State in the Nation Campaign will play in Washington’s future. He also spoke of the excitement surrounding Washington’s recent jump from 15th place to 12th in the latest state health rankings, and noted how our state was singled out as one of the five most improved nationwide.

Q-13 news anchor Lara Yamada took over from there, serving as emcee of the event — handling that responsibility with a mix of grace, charm and humor. Several Washington Health Foundation board members also spoke — sharing personal testimonials about how the Healthiest State in the Nation campaign has changed their lives.

But the true stars on this night were the 2007 Heroes of Health. These are the people and/or organizations that play major roles in improving health for the people of Washington. Every year, the Washington Health Foundation recognizes these heroes with a Healthy Living Award — the promotion of health at the individual level; the Healthy Systems Award — improving health for large segments of the population; and the Lifetime Achievement Award.

The City of Dayton received this year’s Heroes of Health Healthy Living Award. Dayton is a small town with big goals. Over the past two years, Dayton has logged more miles of health at HealthiestState.org than any other town or city in Washington state! So far, this year alone, this town of 2,600 residents has racked up 130,000 miles of health.

Dayton is a quiet town nestled in southeastern Washington, but beneath Dayton’s sleepy backdrop is a burning desire to be the healthiest community in our state. People caught the health bug during the first Governor’s Health Bowl three years ago. Since then, it seems everyone in town finds some way to get out and exercise. They’ve even developed their own programs aimed at healthy living — a walking challenge and a "Biggest Loser" weight loss contest.

For Dayton, creating good health goes beyond physical activity. They have also established healthy systems, such as new health education programs in schools.

The next honor — the Heroes of Health Healthy Systems Award — went to Pioneer Elementary School principal Debra Gary. Ms. Gary’s leadership has been integral to the changes and advances at Pioneer. With a focus on health, positive attitudes, physical activity and nutrition, the students at this school are shining a spotlight on some notable achievements.

Since joining the school five years ago, Principal Debra Gary has closed the achievement gap in WASL test scores between white students and students of color, and today there is almost no gap at all. The plan Ms. Gary implemented at Pioneer parallels the Centers for Disease Control’s Coordinated School Health Program. For Debra, the plan just made sense. In fact, so much sense she joined the Washington Health Foundation in providing testimony to the Washington State Legislature about the clear link between good health and academic achievement.

The evening’s final award went to Governor Chris Gregoire, who received the Heroes of Health Lifetime Achievement Award. The award speaks to her commitment to the very thing the Washington Health Foundation holds most dear: making Washington the Healthiest State in the Nation.

Governor Gregoire has fought side-by-side with the Washington Health Foundation during the first three years of the Governor’s Health Bowl. She has provided tremendous support as we have grown from just 10,000 participants and one million miles of health that first year — to 35,000 individuals, almost 1,000 organizations, 360 schools and a staggering five million miles of health this year.

She led the fight against the tobacco industry as our state’s attorney general, helping Washington win a $4.5 billion dollar share of the lawsuit settlement. Much of that money went directly to fighting tobacco use in Washington — and today our state ranks fifth nationally in smoking rates

Her own fight with breast cancer turned her into a role model for millions. Doctors spotted her cancer during a check-up before her run for Governor. During her acceptance speech at the Heroes of Health Gala, Governor Gregoire revealed the heart wrenching moments when her doctor first told her she had cancer. How she initially insisted it was some kind of mistake… and then broke down in tears. Everyone inside the ballroom was mesmerized as the Governor shared this rare glimpse into her personal struggle.

The end of the awards ceremony signaled the start of the Heroes of Health auction. The generosity of those at the event was overwhelming. In this, our first ever fundraiser — we raised more than $175 thousand dollars! Many words could well describe the sense of gratitude we feel following our 15th Anniversary Heroes of Health Crystal Gala on Saturday night, but the two most important are — Thank You! Thank you for supporting this night. Thank you for supporting the Washington Health Foundation. And thank you for your continuing support of our Healthiest State in the Nation Campaign.

President & CEO Greg Vigdor said he wanted to “put the fun back in fundraising.” And on this night it was clear — the Washington Health Foundation and its staff had done just that.

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For more information on the annual Heroes of Health Awards, visit www.whf.org.

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