Dr. Anthony Fauci and Colin Kaepernick may seem like very different men in very different fields — but they are both being honored with the same award. Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, and Kaepernick, a former NFL player who has led players’ demonstrations against racial injustice, will receive the RFK Ripple of Hope Award this year.
As director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, Fauci has has grappled with major public health crises, including the AIDS epidemic, Zika, Ebola and now COVID-19. He is also the recipient of the the Presidential Medal of Freedom, awarded by President George W. Bush in 2008.
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“Dr. Fauci has advised six presidents on HIV/AIDS and many other domestic and global health issues and was one of the principal architects of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a program that has saved millions of lives throughout the developing world,” RFK Human Rights said in a press release.
Fauci is a member of the White House coronavirus task force and has become a trusted public source of guidance and information during the pandemic.
Kaepernick made headlines In 2016 when, as the San Francisco 49ers quarterback, he began kneeling during the national anthem as a protest against police brutality and racial injustice. Many professional athletes around the sports world have since engaged in similar actions.
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The 52nd annual Ripple of Hope Award Gala will be held virtually on Thursday, December 10, 2020, the group said.