U.S. Marine Corps veteran and actor Adam Driver was presented with the Tom Hanks Caregiver Champion Award at the Elizabeth Dole Foundation’s Heroes & History Makers celebration on Oct. 11 at The Anthem in Washington, D.C.
“The strength of organizations like this is to provide a space, to provide acknowledgment, and to look at an audience like this and see what we can be,” Driver said.
Hidden Heroes Ambassador, actor and director Jocko Sims, and musical duo The War And Treaty also joined the star-studded line-up at the annual tribute to America’s 5.5 million military caregivers, the loved ones who voluntarily care for wounded, ill, and injured service members and veterans at home.
“Military caregivers and their kids serve our nation by the millions,” said Hanks, chair of the foundation’s Hidden Heroes campaign. “Together, they uphold our end of Lincoln’s pledge, to care for those who bear America’s greatest battles. And they do so at a tremendous personal cost.”
Today Show co-host Savannah Guthrie, a Hidden Heroes Ambassador who received last year’s champion award, recognized Driver for his dedication to service members, veterans, and their families. He co-founded the non-profit Arts in the Armed Forces, whose programming brought the performing arts to active-duty service members and their families for over 15 years.
Driver is a lifelong supporter of the military and veteran community and the organizations that advocate for them. In 2019, he recorded a powerful video sharing a caregiver-turned-survivor’s story for the Elizabeth Dole Foundation.
Sen. Elizabeth Dole, who established the foundation more than a decade ago, thanked the Foundation’s supporters in a special video message, saying,
“The growth of this caregiver movement – from the quiet hallways of Walter Reed to this grand hall tonight – is what gives me hope that our country will one day provide every hidden hero the support they need.”
Steve Schwab, Elizabeth Dole Foundation CEO, described the Foundation’s success in building a nationwide coalition around caregivers, who will continue to grow in numbers.
“Today, when caregivers look around for helpers [in their lives], they see Tom Hanks and Savannah Guthrie. They see Adam Driver and Jocko Sims,” he said. “They see doctors and nurses and clinicians. They see leaders from the White House, Capitol Hill, and the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. They see corporate leaders, foundation leaders, and public officials…diplomats, dignitaries…and nearly 200 Hidden Heroes Communities across America.”
The War And Treaty, comprised of husband-and-wife Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter, gave three powerful performances as the evening’s musical headliner. Between songs, the Trotters described how Tanya’s support of Michael through his military-connected PTSD reflects the caregiver-veteran stories highlighted throughout the night.
During the program, retired Col. Jennifer Pritzker was awarded the Caregiver Ally Award for her outstanding support of military caregivers. It was also announced that the Pritzker Military Foundation on behalf of the Pritzker Military Museum & Library would be donating a $2 million challenge grant to support the foundation’s mission.
Caregivers from across the country represented hidden heroes on stage including Ilihia Gionson of Hawaii, Theresa Coomer of Illinois, Brain Vines of Texas, Marianne Delatorre of California, Jeanette Ezell of Ohio, Kirsten Laha-Walsh of Virginia, Silvia Lopez of Delaware and Chris Traumer of New York.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.