Forbes Billionaire Naguib Sawiris, Pioneering Philanthropist Ola Ghabbour Honored by Egyptian Diaspora at New York Event

New York, NY, October 02, 2008 --(PR.com)-- Leaders from the Egyptian diaspora will honor Naguib Sawiris and Ola Ghabbour as joint recipients of the 2008 Leading by Example Award during the Coptic Orphans 20th anniversary gala at the Marriott New York Downtown on Saturday, October 18th, 2008. Sawiris and Ghabour will be present to receive the award and mark the completion of 20 years of work with children in Egypt by the pioneering international Coptic development agency.

The Leading by Example Award honors those who, through their life and actions, have set an example for others by overcoming great obstacles to build a better future for children. Dina Powell, the director of global corporate engagement of Goldman Sachs, will present the award and chair the ceremony. The gala will begin with a 6:00 pm cocktail reception and silent auction to be followed by an awards ceremony, champagne toast and dinner.

Mr. Naguib Sawiris is the chairman and CEO of Orascom Telecom Holding Company, and has been featured in Forbes Magazine in 2008 as one of the world's most significant billionaires. Mr. Sawiris has single-handedly changed the economic landscape of Egypt through his international entrepreneurship, building a brighter future for children in Egypt.

Ms. Ola Ghabbour is the primary catalyst behind the Children's Cancer Hospital 57357, the first and only state-of-the-art children's cancer hospital in the Middle East. She initiated a philanthropic movement in Egypt through her efforts on behalf of the hospital. In 2008, Ms. Ghabour received the prestigious World Health Organization's UAE Health Foundation Prize in Geneva on behalf of the Children's Cancer Hospital Foundation, Egypt.

Coptic Orphans is an award-winning international Christian development organization that unlocks the God-given potential of disadvantaged children in Egypt, and so equips them to break the cycle of poverty and become change-makers in their communities. Since the founding of the organization in 1988, Coptic Orphans has touched the lives of over 14,000 children in Egypt.

Contact Information:
Coptic Orphans
Nathan Hollenbeck
703-641-8910
info@copticorphans.org
www.copticorphans.org