Contact: Stephane Leblois
sleblois@horatioalger.org
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Wyoming philanthropist and high school senior receive awards from Horatio Alger Association
Foster Friess and local student recognized for success in the face of adversity

March 16, 2012 – WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc. is honored to welcome 2012 Horatio Alger Award winner Foster Stephen Friess and the 2012 Wyoming National Scholarship recipient at the 65th annual Horatio Alger Awards Ceremony on April 13th in Washington D.C.

Foster Friess, Founder and Retired Chairman of investment firm Friess Associates LLC, will receive the prestigious Horatio Alger Award, an accolade given to individuals in our society whose courage and determination allowed them to overcome the challenges they faced early in their lives and achieve success in their fields. In receiving the Award, Friess will become a Lifetime Member of the Horatio Alger Association and will join the current Members in working to provide deserving high school seniors with the financial resources and mentorship they need to pursue a college degree.

“We are pleased to welcome Foster Freiss to our Membership,” said Tony Novelly, President of the Horatio Alger Association, “his courage in facing life’s challenges and his desire to help others are core components of the Association’s mission.”

Throughout his career, Friess has earned several accolades for his professional achievements as well as his philanthropic activities. In 1999, Friess was awarded the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award. The following year, he was named the “Humanitarian of the Year” at the National Charity Awards Dinner in Washington, D.C, joining famous philanthropists such as Coretta Scott King and George H.W. Bush in being honored with the Award. He and his wife Lynn now run the Lynn and Foster Friess Family Foundation, a non-profit that funds development projects all over the world. They are currently working on improving the accessibility of clean drinking water in Sir Lanka, Haiti, and Malawi, while also funding a project called Mobile Medical Vans in the United States which provides medical assistance to underserved communities around the Nation.

He will be joined at the Awards by Sarah M. Harris, the recipient of the Horatio Alger National Scholarship from the state of Wyoming. Harris, along with the other National Scholars, will be awarded $20,000 scholarships for their courage in the face of adversity and their determination to achieve a better future through higher education.

2012 Horatio Alger Award recipients will be honored at the  Horatio Alger Awards Ceremony on the 13th of April at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.  Friess’ fellow 2012 Horatio Alger Award winners are:

Wanda M. Austin, President and CEO, Aerospace Corporation, James H. Clark, Founder, Silicon Graphics, Inc.; Founder, Netscape Communications Corporation, Kenneth G. Langone, Founder, President & CEO, Invemed Associates, LLC; Howard M. Meyers, Chairman and CEO, Quexco Incorporated; Robert G. Miller, CEO, Albertson’s, LLC; John A. Moran, Retired Chairman, Dyson-Kissner-Moran Corporation; Brian Mulroney, Former Prime Minister of Canada; Partner, Norton Rose OR (International Award Recipient–Canada); Greg P. Renker, Co-Founder and Co-Chair, Guthy-Renker Corporation; V. Prem Watsa, Chairman and CEO, Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited (International Award Recipient–Canada); John H. Weiland, President, Chief Operating Officer and Director, C.R. Bard, Inc.; and Clarence L. Werner, Founder and Chairman Emeritus, Werner Enterprises, Inc.

Additionally, the Norman Vincent Peale Award will be given to Dennis R. Washington, Founder of the Washington Companies. The Award is annually bestowed on a member who has made exceptional humanitarian contributions to society, who has been an active participant in the association, and who continues to exhibit courage, tenacity and integrity in the face of great challenges.

Founded in 1947, the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans celebrates those individuals in our society whose determination and hard work enabled them to overcome life’s obstacles to achieve success. As a 501 (c) (3) education non-profit, the Association provides scholarships and mentorship to high school seniors who have demonstrated courage in the face of adversity and an unwavering desire to pursue a higher education. The Horatio Alger Association has awarded more than $90 million in scholarships since the inception of its scholarship programs in 1984. For more information, please visit www.horatioalger.org.

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