Washington, D.C. - September 22, 2010 - Five extraordinary people from Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Brazil and Mexico will be honored as the 2010 Heroes of the Hemisphere for their dedication to improving the lives of people in their communities, the Pan American Development Foundation announced. “Their backgrounds and experiences vary greatly, but they all have one thing in common. They selflessly gave their time and effort so others could have better lives,” says Amy Coughenour, Deputy Executive Director of PADF. “These five honorees truly deserve to be called Heroes of the Hemisphere.”

The second-annual Heroes of the Hemisphere, which celebrates the achievements of PADF beneficiaries in Latin America and the Caribbean, will honor the five during a gala luncheon and celebration in Ft. Lauderdale on Sunday, Oct. 17. This hemispheric gathering will unite 250 business, government, diplomacy, philanthropy and entertainment leaders. It is hosted by Celebrity Cruises. www.HeroesoftheHemisphere.org.

In addition to these five people, PADF will honor Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. for its corporate social responsibility efforts in the Western Hemisphere. Also, the non-profit will recognize the efforts of everyone who provided relief to Haiti after the devastating earthquake. Complete bios of the honorees may be found at www.HeroesoftheHemisphere.org The five selected for this prestigious recognition are:

Dominican Republic: Amarilis Castillo, Las Matas de Farfan, for creating relationships that reduced tensions and increased opportunities along the Haiti-DR border.

Brazil: Henrique Gelinski, Sao Joao, who taught skeptical farmers that protecting the environment is profitable.

Haiti: Nicole Orelus, Cite Soleil, whose small cosmetology school grew its curriculum to include classes on how-to avoid violence, increase social responsibility and family planning to high-risk girls in this dangerous slum.

Colombia: Flor Nancy Muelas, Misak, Cauca, for generating sustainable economic projects that also protect the indigenous community’s cultural heritage.

Mexico: Monserrat Guzman Salamanca, San Miguel, Puebla, convinced campesino parents to invest their time and money to expand and improve the school, which resulted in higher rates of graduation and one student selected as the best in the entire country.

The 2010 Heroes of the Hemisphere’s partners include Celebrity Cruises, Chevron, Caterpillar, RCCL, Private Sector of the Americas, United Way, IMCA, Merck, MTV, Sony Music, the University of Miami Center for Hemispheric Policy, San Antonio-based Interlex, Greenberg Traurig and Univision.

PADF is an independent, non-profit organization that creates public-private partnerships that assist the least advantaged people in Latin America and the Caribbean. Having worked in every country in the hemisphere, PADF engages community-based groups, governments and the private sector in the process of implementing appropriate solutions for sustainable development, strengthening civil society and responding to natural disasters. PADF is an affiliate of the Organization of American States (OAS).

In 2009, PADF’s programs impacted more than 5.6 million people in 18 countries. www.padf.org

Michael J. Zamba

Senior Director, Communications & Public Affairs

The Pan American Development Foundation

www.ImUnitedforHaiti.org

www.PanAmericanRelief.org