For the first time, Cupertino hosted the 30th annual Human Value Awards, last month at the Cupertino Community Hall.
Three out of 15 nominees were selected for the award, which recognizes people who uphold human values through their service to society. Cupertino Mayor Gilbert Wong was the guest of honor, alongside two councilmen, local Rotarians and other dignitaries of service clubs.
Part of a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit called the Human Values Award, the awards have been presented to more than 100 people and organizations in more than 30 cities across the U.S. This was the first time in its 30-year run that it occurred in the Bay Area.
“It was very, very heartening to see through all the nominees such an amazing outpouring of compassion and service," said Rekha Giridhar, one of the main organizers of the event.
The award recipients from June 27 are listed below:
• First place went to Kyle Weiss, who co-founded FUNDaFIELD with his brother in order to enrich the lives of less-fortunate children in Africa through sports. Over three years, Weiss and his brothers raised more than $100,000 to provide soccer fields, equipment and tournaments to youth.
• Second place was awarded to Anna Sidana, founder of One Million Lights. The organization aims to improve the daily lives of adults and children in remote areas of India by providing clean solar lighting.
• The third finalist was Rajni Madan, who founded the Milpitas-based Jeena Inc. in order to create a friendly environment for children with special needs to learn life skills for self-care.
This year, the volunteer-run event was sponsored by The Art of Living Foundation and The International Association for Human Values.
