By Ruby Thomas, Record Staff Writer
The Muhammad Ali Center will honor 10 individuals, including a member of the Ursuline Sisters of Mt. St. Joseph, during the 6th annual Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards ceremony Sept. 20.
Ursuline Sister of Mt. St. Joseph Larraine Lauter will be honored with the Muhammad Ali Kentucky Humanitarian award for her work with the local non-profit Water With Blessings (WWB).
Sister Lauter is the co-founder and executive director of WWB which provides water filters to families in 45 countries. Since WWB’s beginning 10 years ago, more than 75,000 women around the world have received these filters.
Sister Lauter said in an interview Sept. 7 that she doesn’t really feel like she’s been a humanitarian. “I’ve been a part of a community of humanitarians. There’s no way to be a humanitarian on one’s own. We’re only humanitarian in community,” she said, adding that the late legendary boxer understood this.
Sister Lauter said the award is a “wonderful thing” for WWB’s mission to change and save lives through clean water. She’s asking for prayers, she said, so that this honor will become an opportunity to further WWB’s mission.
In addition to Sister Lauter, nine other individuals will be honored, including, actress Amy Carlson with the Gender Equality Award, author Dave Eggers with the Education Award and Dr. Pearse Lyons, who will be honored posthumously with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Lyons, who died in March, was the founder of Alltech Inc. in Nicholasville, Ky. He supported Catholic education in the Archdiocese of Louisville.
Six others will be honored in the 30 and under category with an award for each of Ali’s six core principles of confidence, conviction, dedication, giving, respect and spirituality.
The awards ceremony will take place at the Omni Louisville Hotel.
