The Black Business and Professional Association Names Harry Jerome Award Winners

Celebrating African-Canadian excellence for more than 20 years

TORONTO - March 24, 2006 - On Monday March 20, 2006, Black Business and Professional Association (BBPA) announced the winners of the BBPA Harry Jerome Awards celebrating 24 years of excellence in the Black community.

The BBPA is honoured to recognize 12 outstanding Canadians who are truly role models of Canadian excellence", said Hugh Graham, president of the BBPA. "We are proud of all the award recipients and thank those individuals who took the time to submit nominations to assist us in our ongoing commitment to acknowledge African Canadian accomplishments". The awards recognize African Canadians in the fields of Academics; Athletics; Arts, Media & Entertainment; Business; Community Service; Health Sciences; Leadership; Professional Excellence; Technology and Innovation and Young Entrepreneur. In addition the BBPA grants two special awards: the Lifetime Achievement award and the President’s Award.

The 2006 BBPA Harry Jerome Awards will be held on Saturday, April 29, 2006 at the Toronto Congress Centre, 650 Dixon Road and will honour and celebrate the following award recipients:

Youth
Simone Samuels, Scarborough, ON. - Leadership
Jaleesa Rhoden, London, ON. - Athletics
Ndija Anderson, Ajax, ON. - Academics

Adults
Stephen Lewis, United Nations - President’s Award
Dr. Joyce Ross, Novo Scotia, ON. - Community Service
Icilda Elliston, Richmond Hill, ON. - Professional Excellence
Larry Gibson, Nova Scotia - Business
Dr. David Burt, Laval, QC. - Health Sciences
Louis Mercier, Toronto, ON. - Arts, Media & Entertainment
Edward Ndububa, Brampton, ON. - Technology & Innovation
The Late Dr. J. Douglas Salmon, Toronto, ON. - Lifetime Achievement
Winston Stewart, Markham, ON. - Young Entrepreneur

Throughout its 24-year history, the BBPA Harry Jerome Awards has honoured numerous outstanding and inspirational African Canadians, such as Senator Donald Oliver, educator Dr Avis Glaze, human rights activist, pianist Oscar Peterson, Olympians Curtis Hibbert and Donovan Bailey, playwright Djanet Sears, entrepreneur the late Beverley Mascoll and former M.P.P the late Dr. Rosemary Brown.

The BBPA named these prestigious awards after Harry Jerome, an outstanding African-Canadian athlete, Olympian, scholar and social advocate. Harry Jerome shared his talents and knowledge to inspire pride and excellence in the Black community and Canadian society. Approximately 1000 people have attended the Awards gala each year, including former Prime Ministers Jean Chrétien and Brian Mulroney as well as lieutenant governors and premiers of Ontario. The BBPA Harry Jerome Awards are sponsored by: Applied Rail Research Technologies Inc., Bell Canada, BMO Financial Group, CGA Ontario, CIBC, FLOW 93.5, IBM Canada, IntelliPharmaceutics, Microsoft, RBC Financial Group, Scotiabank, State Farm Insurance Company and TD Financial Group.

About the Black Business and Professional Association
Founded in 1983, the BBPA is a non-profit, charitable organization, whose mission is "to advance the Black community through the delivery of programs that support business and professional excellence, higher education and economic development".

For winners’ bios or information on tickets, please call (416) 504-4097 or e-mail bbpa@bellnet.ca.