Dr. Fauci, Yale student, NBA player among 2022 Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award winners

Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was in Louisville Saturday to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2022 Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards at the Ali Center, 144 N Sixth St.

For nearly 40 years, Fauci has been leading America's fight against infectious diseases, including the COVID-19 virus and the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

"The idea of getting an award that is named after someone who is incredibly inspirational to me because of the fundamental principles of the way he lead his life is very important to me," Fauci told the Courier Journal. "I am in a difficult position right now. On one side, I am admired and on the other, I am being torn down. It gives me strength to have a role model in Muhammad Ali."

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The annual awards ceremony is the Muhammad Ali Center's largest fundraiser and honors those who have dedicated a portion of their lives to humanitarianism and a host of philanthropic causes.

Fauci is the government's top infectious disease expert. He will step down from his position in December, ending decades of federal service capped with a pandemic. While accepting his Lifetime Achievement Award, the 81-year-old appealed to the guests to continue to work together to control the spread of the virus.

"There is so much disinformation going on right now. Reality is being distorted and truths go out the window," said Fauci. "I want to appeal to people all over the country and the world to come back to pulling together against this epidemic instead of fighting each other."

Other honorees include World Central Kitchen, which earned the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian of the Year Award for its disaster relief work in Western Kentucky after tornados devastated the area last December as well as recent flooding that wiped out communities in Eastern Kentucky.

The "Kentucky Humanitarian Award" was presented to Alice Houston, a businesswoman and philanthropist who was also named in Louisville Business First's "Power 50" earlier this year.

Six other honorees were recognized at Saturday's ceremony for embodying Muhammad Ali's Six core principles: confidence, conviction, dedication, giving, respect and spirituality. Those honorees include:

• Confidence Award winner Gitanjali Rao, a 17-year-old from Louisville was named Time Magazine's Kid of the Year for "inventions help to detect lead content in water, provide early diagnosis of prescription opioid addiction, and counter cyberbullying."

• Conviction Award winner Lefteris Arapakis from Greece for his work fighting pollution in the Mediterranean Sea. Arapakis also heads up an organization, Enaleia, that teaches people how to clean plastic out of the sea.

• Dedication Award winner Mohamad Al Jounde from Syria, has helped give 200 children access to education via the Gharsah School in Lebanon.

• Giving Award winner Liam Elkind, a Yale student who co-founded Invisible Hands during the COVID-19 pandemic to help ensure at-risk community members have access to food and medical supplies.

• Respect Award winner Malcolm Brogdon, the former NBA Rookie of the year, for his work in Tanzania with the Brogdon Family Foundation, which helps people access clean water and quality education.

• Spirituality Award winner Lual Mayen from South Sudan for working for refugee and migrant rights. He also founded Junub Games, an organization that teaches the "importance of peace through video games."

"Muhammad really enjoyed these awards," said Lonnie Ali, co-founder of the Ali Center and wife of the late boxing great. "They were rare moments when the spotlight shone on others who walk in his humanitarian principles."

Reporter Rae Johnson contributed to this report. Reach Features reporter Kirby Adams at kadams@courier-journal.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville awards: Louisville residents, orgs given Muhammad Ali award