The Morrison Legacy Foundation will host its annual Gala on Monday, September 28 at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers in Manhattan and this year will be honoring renowned Irish-American journalist, publisher and advocate Niall O’Dowd with the Foundation’s Irish American Icons Award.
The Gala, co-chaired by Denis O’Brien and Michael Brewster, will bring together leaders from across the Irish-American community to celebrate the enduring legacy of the Morrison and Donnelly Visa Programs and the generations of Irish immigrants whose lives and contributions have helped shape America.
Said a release: "O’Dowd, founder of Irish America, Irish Voice and IrishCentral, has been a leading voice in Irish-American life for more than four decades.
"He played a significant role in advocating for the Donnelly and Morrison Visa Programs, which together created important legal immigration opportunities for Irish nationals, and was also a prominent advocate for the Northern Ireland peace process.
"Through his media platforms, he has also championed the achievements of Irish and Irish-American professionals, helping to elevate their contributions across business, science and beyond."
Continued the release: "The Morrison and Donnelly Visa Programs provided more than 70,000 Irish nationals with a legal pathway to the United States, creating opportunities that extended across careers, businesses, families and communities.
"The Morrison Legacy Foundation was established to ensure that the impact created by the Morrison and Donnelly Visa Programs is not simply remembered, but built upon for future generations. Its mission is to preserve their legacy, connect the community they created, and advocate for legal pathways that create opportunities for future generations of Irish and Irish Americans."
Said Loretta Brennan Glucksman, Co-Founder of the Morrison Legacy Foundation: “We Irish carry a proud history of immigration after being starved out of our homeland but also have a great history of honorable immigration which is sadly lacking today. That’s why we need to celebrate the work of the Morrison Visa Program."
The Foundation's work focuses on specific pillars: Preserve Legacy, Strengthen Community and Create Opportunity, including documenting the history and impact of the Visa Programs, building a permanent archive, connecting Irish-American leaders, and advocating for future Irish-U.S. immigration pathways.
"The best way to honor the Morrison legacy is to extend it," said the release.
More at www.morrisonlegacy.com.
