Franklin-Based Tivity Health CEO Donato Tramuto to be Honored by RFK Children's Action Corps

BOSTON | Global health activist Donato Tramuto has spearheaded initiatives to provide access to healthcare for people of all ages, backgrounds and cultures. As the founder of Health eVillages, a non-profit organization that provides state-of-the-art mobile health technology to medical professionals in remote areas, Tramuto better equips clinicians to care for underserved communities in Africa, India, and on the island of Haiti.

As CEO of Tivity Health, Inc., a leading provider of health and fitness improvement programs in the United States, Tramuto inspires those 50 and over to find renewed passion and energy in life through fitness. The organization’s networks – SilverSneakers®, Prime® Fitness and WholeHealth LivingTM – are industry leaders that use physical fitness and social connections as a community engagement tool to better the lives of those who have already made enormous contributions to American society.

For his 35 years of commitment to creating positive social change, Tramuto will soon be honored by Robert F. Kennedy Children’s Action Corps with the organization’s Embracing the Legacy Award at the JFK Library in Boston.

Tramuto’s passion to provide affordable, accessible healthcare stemmed from the severe temporary hearing loss he endured as a child. Inspired by Robert F. Kennedy’s dedication to equal and human rights for all, an adult Tramuto established The Tramuto Foundation, a non-profit that provides grants, contributions and other funding to organizations that share the mission of helping people in need.

“In our lifetime, one billion people will die prematurely because they don’t have access to a healthcare worker,” Tramuto explains. “Six million are children who die each year because they do not have access to clean water, medicine, or a healthcare worker. That number is overwhelming. I could not take it all in at once. However, I found that I could access tools to put a dent in that number. To me, it’s not about doing something big or great. Rather, it’s about doing little things that have the capacity to drive great change.”

Outside the healthcare realm, Tramuto served two terms as Chairman of the Board of Selectmen in the Town of Ogunquit, ME before being appointed to the State of Maine Economic Growth Council. He recently authored his first book, Life's Bulldozer Moments: How Adversity Leads to Success in Life and Business.

Tramuto is widely recognized for his professional achievements. In 2014, he was honored alongside Hillary Clinton, Robert DeNiro, and Tony Bennett with the prestigious Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award. In 2015, Tramuto was awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters from the College of Fine Arts at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. In May, he will receive an honorary doctorate in science from Thomas Jefferson University.

Robert F. Kennedy Children’s Action Corps’ annual Embracing the Legacy Award celebrates the legacy of Robert F. Kennedy and the work of the organization founded to carry out his principles of social justice for the poor and disadvantaged. Through the event, RFK Children’s Action Corps raises money to support some of the state’s most vulnerable youth and families, giving them a second chance for a better life. The agency, which is celebrating 48 years of service, is a national leader in developing and implementing model, successful child welfare, social service and juvenile justice programs.

RFK Children’s Action Corps founder Phil Johnston nominated Tramuto for the award, citing Tramuto’s efforts to affect social change in multiple realms. “Donato is a man deeply committed to improving the quality of life for those at home and around the world, and he’s identified many ways to do so. From local government to global health activism, Donato is a man with a mission, much like Robert F. Kennedy himself.”

ABOUT THE ROBERT F. KENNEDY CHILDREN’S ACTION CORPS’ EMBRACING THE LEGACY AWARD:

The Robert F. Kennedy Children’s Action Corps’ Embracing the Legacy Award celebrates the legacy of Robert F. Kennedy and the work of the organization founded to carry out his principles of social justice for the poor and disadvantaged. Through its annual Embracing the Legacy event, the agency raises money to support some of Massachusetts’ most vulnerable youth and families, giving them a second chance for a better life. The agency, which is celebrating 48 years of service, is a national leader in developing and implementing model, successful child welfare and juvenile justice programs.

During the event, Congressman Joseph P. Kennedy III, RFK Children’s Action Corps’ board member, will reflect on his late grandfather’s legacy and the lasting contributions he made toward protecting society’s most vulnerable children and families.

The event will include a cocktail reception, seated dinner and program, including the award presentation to Bill Lyttle, President of Key Program, Inc.; Susan L. Taylor, Founder and CEO of the National CARES Mentoring Movement and Editor-In-Chief Emeritus of Essence Magazine; and Donato Tramuto, Chief Executive Officer at Tivity Health, Inc. and President and Founder of Health eVillages.

Past honorees include the Dropkick Murphys, educator Francine Sherman, MassHousing director Thaddeus Miles, entrepreneur Joseph Corcoran, activists Marian Wright Edelman and Peter Edelman, Olympic Gold Medalist Rafer Johnson, former running back Gayle Sayers, Teach for America’s Wendy Kopp, Casey Family Program’s Dr. William Bell, and former Boston Red Sox Pitcher Tim Wakefield.