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Health & Fitness

espnW and Toyota Present Barb Lazarus with inaugural EVERYDAY HERO AWARD at this year's National Summit in Dana Point, CA

Monday, October 14, 2013 – For Barb Lazarus, empowering young girls through sports is her calling, her lifework. On Wednesday, October 9, 2013, at the 4th annual espnW Women + Sport Summit, Toyota and espnW kicked off the meeting by letting Barb know she is truly making a difference.

Launching a new program called “Everyday Heroes,” Olympic snowboarder Elena Hight (also part of Team Toyota) presented Barb with the award and a bouquet of white flowers on behalf of Toyota and espnW before a packed house that read like the Who’s Who in the world of sports. The presentation included a two-minute video introducing Barb and her work with Game On! Sports Camps 4 Girls, The Game On! Sports Foundation and her community outreach that extends far and wide.

Much to Barb’s shock, the red carpet treatment and celebration continued on into the next evening’s agenda as well with Dionne Colvin, National Manager of Media for Toyota, presenting Barb with a check for $10,000.00.

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Specifically, the “Everyday Heroes” program honors women who are working to promote and grow sports for girls and women in their local communities.

The inscription on the first-ever “Everyday Hero” award reads: Thank you for making a meaningful impact on women and girls in your local community.”

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Barb was recognized along with two other women, one from the east coast and one from the west, Mobolaji Akiode (Hope 4 Girls foundation reaching into Ghana and Benin Republic) and Justine Siegal (Baseball for All).

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A description of espnW’s annual summit reads as follows: “Since its inception in 2010, the espnW Women + Sports Summit has evolved to become the leading event of its kind. More than just a conference, the Summit is an experience that harnesses a spirit of collaboration among the brightest minds in the sports industry. Each year, industry leaders come together at the Summit to focus on driving change and opportunity for women in sports. With an overarching goal of developing actionable outcomes each year, thought-provoking and differentiated content, and the integration of invigorating sports activities in a beautiful setting, the Summit is truly in a league of its own.” Attendance at the Summit is by invitation only and boasts regular participation by sports legends; representation of the most respected in sports media; Olympic, Paralympic, professional and collegiate athletes and coaches; CEOs and other top execs from Fortune 100 companies such as Nike, Under Armour, Gatorade, Coca Cola; Leading names in medical and social research from around the country; World renown experts in the areas of sports marketing, advertising and branding; and current and emerging leaders in the sports world from around the globe.

For coverage by espnW, visit the two links below.

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