Alexia Foundation Creator Aphrodite Tsairis Gets Global Impact Award
Aphrodite Tsairis has received the 2010 Global Impact award from the Garden State Woman Education Foundation.
Aphrodite and Peter Tsairis created the Alexia Foundation in 1989 after their daughter Alexia died in the bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. Since then, the Foundation has given 24 students scholarships to study photojournalism at Syracuse University in London. In addition, since 1997, the Foundation has annually given a $15,000 grant to a professional photographer to produce a picture story with global significance.
New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg, in a letter to Aphrodite Tsairis, explained the importance of the award:
“Congratulations on your 5th Annual Garden State Women of the Year Award. Garden State Woman has been a trusted resource for women in New Jersey for over 12 years. Women, from small business owners to corporate professionals, have come together to create a qualified network of people dedicated to improving the professional and personal lives of women all over New Jersey.
“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Aphrodite Tsairis on being named the recipient of the Global Impact Award. Her creation of the Alexia Foundation for World Peace is truly an inspiration. The power of photography is realized by the Foundation that promotes creative photojournalism as an agent of change. Many images captured by Alexia Foundation photographers have brought important issues to our attention, from violence against women in Guatemala to the lives of forgotten sharecroppers in central California. All of the photographs and portfolios tell a compelling story keeping Alexia’s passion for photojournalism alive.
“Through Aphrodite’s work at the Alexia Foundation she continues to demonstrate leadership, success, and the desire to give back. Congratulations to Aphrodite and all the Award winners on such outstanding achievements.
Sincerely, Frank R. Lautenberg
book now available
for purchase
The Alexia Foundation's "Eyes on the World" book displays the work of 18 past Alexia grant winners and presents work that has been exhibited at the United Nations building in New York, at the Pingyao, China, International Photography Festival, and at the UN Information Centre in Tokyo.
The $40 book is available with credit card at PayPal, or by email request to info@alexiafoundation.org or at the Syracuse University Bookstore. You can preview a segment of the book here.
Dury's Photo proudly supports the Alexia Foundation in its goal to help photographers produce stories that promote wolrd peace and cultural understanding. To help students produce outstanding picture stories, Dury's will award each student winner with a Dury's Photo gift card for these amounts:
| First Place | $300 |
| Second Place | $250 |
| 3 Awards of Excellence | $150 each |
Dury's has provided professional equipment and services for photographers for over 125 years. Dury's is in Nashville, Tenn., but its services are available to everyone at www.durys.com. 800-824-2379.
