Phoenix House of Florida’s first annual Humanitarian of the Year Award dinner was held on Thursday, May 22, 2008 at Higgins Hall, St. Lawrence Catholic Church, in Tampa, Florida. The event honored board member Monsignor Laurence Higgins, in appreciation of his many meaningful contributions to Phoenix House and the Tampa area.
Former Tampa mayor, Dick Greco, gave an emotional tribute to Monsignor Higgins during which he spoke about their more than 50 years of friendship. In addition, a graduate of the Phoenix House Youth and Family Counseling Center (now known as the Derek Jeter Center at Phoenix House) spoke about her past history of drug abuse and how, thanks to the help she received from Phoenix House, her life is now full of promise and hope. The powerful and moving program was topped off by a performance by Danny Rodriquez, “the Singing Policeman”.
As a legacy to Monsignor Higgins’ commitment to the Tampa community, each year, in the Monsignor’s name, Phoenix House will honor an individual who has contributed to improving life in Tampa as our Humanitarian of the Year. We are thankful to everyone who contributed to making this first dinner such a wonderful success.
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