Century City Foundation Awards $1.5 Million Humanitarian Prize

A non-profit that advocates for the rights and well being of the world's disadvantaged elderly population won a humanitarian $1.5 million prize from the Century City-base Hilton Foundation.

HelpAge International is receiving the 2012 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize on Thursday, which is International Women's Day. It is the largest humanitarian prize currently awarded.

The Hilton Foundation focuses on several initiatives, including the availability of clean drinking water, homelessness in LA County, and Catholic charities, among others. Below is a description of the Humanitarian Prize:

Following selection by an independent international jury, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation awards the annual $1.5 million Humanitarian Prize to a nonprofit organization doing extraordinary work to alleviate human suffering. Created in 1996, the Prize helps recognize and advance the efforts of the recipient organizations, and calls attention to the worldwide need for humanitarian aid and support.

“The world is aging," said Steven M. Hilton, CEO and president of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. "By 2015, nearly 900 million people will be older than age 60, which is close to three times the population of the United States. Nearly 190 million live in poverty with more than 100 million living on less than $1 a day. As the world prepares for this monumental aging trend, HelpAge shows us that it is important to recognize and support older people so they can continue to be contributing and productive members of society.”

HelpAge International is the only organization dedicated to assisting the world's elderly population, according to a news release. Women are an important part of the organization's mission.

“Older women are responsible for much of the farming and food production in developing countries, a critical function as food insecurity grows,” notes Catherine A. Bertini, Hilton Prize juror, Syracuse University professor, and former United Nations World Food Program executive director. 

For more information on HelpAge International, click here. For more information on the Hilton Foundation, click here.

Stay on top of local news and follow Westwood-Century City Patch on Facebook and Twitter .