Right to Life of Louisville presented awards to four people who live lives dedicated to caring for other people at its 42nd annual Celebration of Life Banquet April 17.
The organization’s 2015 Dr. Albert J. Schweitzer Humanitarian of the Year Award was presented to Michael and Penny Michalak, founders of Angels in Disguise, a nonprofit that assists families that have children with Down syndrome.
The award citation provided by Right to Life said, “The ultimate goal of this couple, mother and father to 12 adoptive and biological children, is to halt genetic discrimination, decrease the abortion rate of children with Down syndrome and reduce, if not eliminate, abortion altogether in this nation.” The family belongs to St. Martin of Tours Church.
Right to Life also honored Sacred Heart Academy teacher Phyllis Donlon with the 2015 Right to Life Educational Foundation of Kentucky Award for teaching young people about the right to life.
The award citation notes that Donlon moderates the Youth for Life Club at Sacred Heart and leads the school’s annual pilgrimage to the March for Life in Washington, D.C.
The organization’s Volunteer of the Year Award was given to Janice Gootee, who has long served at St. Stephen Martyr Church, the Little Sisters of the Poor and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the award citation said.
She is co-chair of St. Stephen Martyr’s Respect Life Team and has helped with various projects to promote life.
“Right to Life of Louisville is very fortunate to benefit from her volunteer efforts,” the award citation said. She has served
as a board member, serves in the organization’s booth at the state fair and is active at the national level.
