The second annual Bikila Award Ceremony and Gala Dinner will be held on September 26, 2015 at Daniels Spectrum (585 Dundas Street East) in Toronto.
Bikila Award, named after the renowned Olympian and Ethiopian Marathon hero Abebe Bikila, was founded in July 2013 as a not-for-profit organization in Ontario, Canada.
The objective of Bikila Award is to foster academic and professional excellence, as well as to promote volunteerism among persons of Ethiopian origin residing in and outside Canada.
Various professional and academic excellence awards are presented annually to such selected persons, friends of Ethiopia and exemplary Ethiopians who have made outstanding contribution to society and the Ethiopian community.
Last year’s Award Winners included singer Abel Tesfaye a.k.a The Weeknd, Dr. Taffara Deguefe, Lifetime Achievement Award winner and Dr. Clare Pain, Professional Excellence Award winner for her work in psychiatry and exemplary contribution to the Development of Mental Health Services in Ethiopia.
Ethiopian filmmaker and professor at Howard University Haile Gerima is set to make the keynote address at this year’s event and guests of honor include Dr. Senait Fisseha MD. JD, professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Michigan, and Dr. Michael Gervers, professor of History and Art History at UofT.
The event includes dinner, live music along with speeches by guests of honor, Board President and Award winners. (For details please see attached poster.
List of this year’s Award winners:
Lifetime Achievement Award- Lij Habteselassie Tafesse
Professional Excellence Award- Dr. Ingida Asfaw
Professional Excellence Award- Mr. Mulugeta Desta
Professional Excellence Award- Ms. Weyni Mengesha
Professional Excellence Award- Mr. Yared Nigusu
Professional Excellence Award- Professor Joseph Beyene
Community Service Excellence Award – EOTC- St, Mary Church
Community Service Excellence Award- Ms. Hannah Godefa
Academic Excellence Award and Scholarship winners- Betel Yiberhu, Kalkidan Legesse, Gelila Ephrem, Bekure Mekbib
For further information: Media Contact: Behailu Atnafu, Public Relations Officer, Bikila Award, contact@bikilaaward.org – http://bikilaaward.org , www.facebook.com/bikilaaward, www.twitter.com/bikilaaward
