Ron Creel
Healing Hands Award
The Healing Hands Award is a recognition of unique actions by individuals to promote the concept of healing, grace, comfort and inspiration to those whom have been struck by disaster, both natural and man-made, by responding to the needs of a neighbor, friend, or stranger, and thus motivating others to greater achievement.
Through their hands, hard work, and dedication, the recipient of the Healing Hands Award has been an influence to the world around them, making it better and setting an example for others to emulate. Such actions easily come to mind in recipients of the award.
In 2002, President George W. Bush and New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani were the first to receive the award. These leaders comforted the country's largest city and an entire nation during the still shocking attacks on New York City and Washington, DC on the morning of September 11, 2001.
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2024 Healing Hands Award Recipients:
Mrs. Carol Harrison Kallagher
and
Posthumuously 1976 Olympic Gold Medalist Harvey Glance
Mrs. Carol Harrison Kallagher is an astute business woman and generous philanthropist. She is the Board of Directors Chair for Structural Wood Systems in Greenville, Alabama and President of the Ben F Harrison Foundation. An organization very close to her heart is the Children's Tumor Foundation where she received a Humanitarian Award for her years of support and hard work to help the children this Foundation serves. She is very passionate about Children's Tumor Foundation as her grandson, Hunter, lives with neurofibromatosis. From at risk children to battered women, the list of causes supported by Carol Harrison Kallagher with her time, talents and resources is long and distinctive. She embodies the spirit and intent behind the Healing Hands Award.
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Olympic Gold Medalist Harvey Glance started his life in Phenix City, Alabama and became a staple in the track community. He ran track as an undergraduate student at Auburn University and became one of the greatest sprinters from the State of Alabama. In the 1976 Montreal Olympics he won Gold Medal with the 4 by 100 meter relay team. In 1983, while training for competition at Auburn University, this Olympian was the first to light the Cauldron for a new sports program called The Alabama State Games. He also ran an exhibition race in the first Alabama State Games against a well-known Auburn University running back by the name of Bo Jackson, who lost that day. This Gold Medalist Olympian went into coaching after completing his competition days making a few stops before becoming Head Track Coach at his Alma Mater, Auburn University in 1991. In 1997 he did the unthinkable and left his alma mater to go become the head track coach at The University of Alabama . He was very involved in The Alabama State Games serving as a member of our Board of Directors from 1992 - 2009. In 2011 he moved to Houston, Texas to train future Olympic athletes and then to Phoenix, Arizonia. In 2023, while on the track training a future Olympian, he had a heart attack and several days later died. Harvey Glance dedicated his life to track and track athletes and has made the Track world a better place through his hard work, dedication and motivation. His wife, Booker Lynn Glance, received the award on behalf of Harvey and their son Walter.
Other notable Recipients of the esteemed award have been:
2002 - President George W. Bush
2002 - New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani
2005 - Mobile Mayor Michael C. Dow
2007 - World War II Hero Major Bert Bank
2008 - Florida State Head Football Coach Bobby Bowden
2010 - Alabama Speaker of the House Seth Hammett
2010 - Alabama Education Association Director Dr. Paul R. Hubbert
2010 - Alabama State Senator Hinton Mitchem
2011 - Navy Seal Team Six Founder Richard Marcinko
2013 - Troy University Director of Bands Emeritus Dr. John M. Long, Sr.
2018 - World Renown Neurosurgeon Dr. Swaid N. Swaid, MD
2022 - Philanthropist, Businessman, Former Dothan Mayor Mike Schmitz
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