By Xavier LeBlanc | Society Writer, Resident Videographer
Which prestigious event could possibly unite three seemingly unrelated grand subjects such as the 16th President of the United States, a living cinema icon, and the world's leading construction manufacturer?
During an especially memorable evening evening in Chicago the annual 2014 Lincoln Leadership Prize event did exactly just that.
Established in 2006 by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Foundation (ALPLF), the Lincoln Leadership Prize is awarded to men and women for a lifetime of service in the Lincoln tradition. Past recipients of the grand award include former US President Bill Clinton, a former Polish President, and Captain James A. Lowell, Jr. among others. This year's recipient is arguably one of the world's most successful, influential, and recognized film directors of all time, Steven Spielberg.
The ALPLF is an organization which supports exhibits and programs of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum and also sponsors scholarships opportunities. The Caterpillar Foundation, which is the philanthropic arm of US based manufacturer Caterpillar Inc., served as presenting sponsor of the 2014 Lincoln Leadership Prize ceremony. The organization began in 1952 and provides financial services to poverty stricken people in 24 countries, donating countless millions and has also worked closely with ALPLF for many years. This year's Lincoln Leadership Prize event helped raise 1.2 million dollars in proceeds and gathered a record audience of over seven-hundred people.
Which prestigious event could possibly unite three seemingly unrelated grand subjects such as the 16th President of the United States, a living cinema icon, and the world's leading construction manufacturer?
During an especially memorable evening evening in Chicago the annual 2014 Lincoln Leadership Prize event did exactly just that.
Established in 2006 by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Foundation (ALPLF), the Lincoln Leadership Prize is awarded to men and women for a lifetime of service in the Lincoln tradition. Past recipients of the grand award include former US President Bill Clinton, a former Polish President, and Captain James A. Lowell, Jr. among others. This year's recipient is arguably one of the world's most successful, influential, and recognized film directors of all time, Steven Spielberg.
The ALPLF is an organization which supports exhibits and programs of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum and also sponsors scholarships opportunities. The Caterpillar Foundation, which is the philanthropic arm of US based manufacturer Caterpillar Inc., served as presenting sponsor of the 2014 Lincoln Leadership Prize ceremony. The organization began in 1952 and provides financial services to poverty stricken people in 24 countries, donating countless millions and has also worked closely with ALPLF for many years. This year's Lincoln Leadership Prize event helped raise 1.2 million dollars in proceeds and gathered a record audience of over seven-hundred people.
Lincoln Leadership Prize dinner set-up: chic.
Leading figures for both organizations were in attendance for the event, including Caterpillar Foundation President Michele Sullivan, who is the first female in history to be president of the foundation. She was accompanied by Jennifer Zammuto, Manager of the Caterpillar Foundation. Representing the ALPLF was the well respected Dr. Carlo Knorowski, the current Chief Executive Officer. Prestige du Monde (PdM) had the immense honor of speaking with these three inspirational women. You can view the special video interview below!
The 2014 Lincoln Leadership Prize , which was held at the luxurious Hilton Chicago venue, was presented by highly esteemed veteran Academy Award winning actress Sally Field. In 2012, legendary director Steven Spielberg released the critically-acclaimed and extremely successful theatrical film Lincoln, which garnered 12 Oscar nominations at the 85th Academy Awards. Among these nominations were a Best Director nomination for Steven Spielberg and a Best Supporting Actress nomination for Sally Field as the titular character's wife Mary Todd. The film fittingly held great presence during the prestigious Leadership Prize event, and music from the film was also performed live for the audience.
Other noteworthy and heartfelt surprises during the evening included messages and award wishes via video for Spielberg by various individuals, such as world famous film actor Tom Cruise, actress Whoopi Goldberg, and a Holocaust survivor. Those in attendance were also treated to a special video montage incorporating some of Spielberg's breathtaking visual work and free copies of a hard cover book exploring the history of Abraham Lincoln and Spielberg's 2012 film.
This does not go without mentioning some of the other notable speakers who participated, like Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, Vice President of Caterpillar Inc. David Bozeman, and the entertaining well-known Master of Ceremonies Bull Kurtis.
Other noteworthy and heartfelt surprises during the evening included messages and award wishes via video for Spielberg by various individuals, such as world famous film actor Tom Cruise, actress Whoopi Goldberg, and a Holocaust survivor. Those in attendance were also treated to a special video montage incorporating some of Spielberg's breathtaking visual work and free copies of a hard cover book exploring the history of Abraham Lincoln and Spielberg's 2012 film.
This does not go without mentioning some of the other notable speakers who participated, like Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, Vice President of Caterpillar Inc. David Bozeman, and the entertaining well-known Master of Ceremonies Bull Kurtis.
Spielberg receiving Lincoln Leadership Prize.
When the time arrived for the main presentation of the undoubtedly unforgettable event, Sally Field spoke charismatically, humorously and deeply about her long time friend and collaborator Steven Spielberg. She presented the honorable award to Spielberg, who walked upon the stage to accept as the crowd erupted in applause for what seemed like 10 continuous minutes. Though he effortlessly maintained his uncanny humble demeanor and thoughtful gratitude, he reflected upon the significance and nearly-overwhelming nature of the award while provoking smiles across the attentive audience. For a moment, he made the crowd view him as a fellow man and not merely the mythic cinematic figure he has become in the hearts and eyes of film-goers all over the world.
There was also one more surprise, which you can only see in the video below!
There was also one more surprise, which you can only see in the video below!
For Prestige du Monde it was truly an immense honor and pleasure to cover this grand event. The ALPLF, Caterpillar Foundation, Steven Spielberg, and all those involved definitely left an inspiring impact upon all those who attended. We hope that via the coverage our readers are also able to experience a taste of this special evening and we encourage everyone to support the organizations mentioned. Lastly but not least, we would like to take a moment to acknowledge the fantastic team at Reputation Partners for organizing all the press and media coverage.
Some of PdM's team with ALPLF and Caterpillar Foundation.
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