Seventh Annual AWB Hero Award
The Seventh Annual AWB Hero Award was held on Wednesday, September 14, 2022 at WaterWorks in Philadelphia, PA. Acting Without Boundaries (AWB) is a theatre program for people of all ages with physical disabilities. The event was comprised of a full dinner by Cescaphe, an AWB Melodies performance, and a live and silent auction. Steve Katz was the amazing auctioneer and there were many great auction items such as a trip to Ireland, a trip to the Phillies Phantasy Camp, and box seats to a Philadelphia Flyers game. One of the highlights of the night was having Chris Therien, a former Flyers player, attend and give a wonderful speech. He spoke about how AWB is like the Flyers because we are both part of a team, we watch out for each other, and it takes courage to be on stage just like the players when they go out on the rink.
The Hero Award is given to a community leader with a physical disability who displays remarkable efforts to overcome adversity, enhance awareness, reduce stigma, and increase community access for individuals with disabilities. This year’s recipient was Alysse Einbender. Alysse is a fine art sculptor. Alysse served on the board of Inglis and co-founded the United Spinal Association’s Philadelphia Chapter. She worked as the project manager of the All about Art show at Moss Rehab. Alysse gave a wonderful speech about her life and how art has had a profound impact on her life.
