National Rehabilitation Hospital 25th Anniversary Victor Awards

National Rehabilitation Hospital held the 25th Anniversary Gala Victory Awards at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel on Dec. 1. It was victorious in celebrating individuals who best exemplify exceptional strength and courage in the face of physical adversity. The cocktail reception was followed by a multi-course repast and live auction presided over by Kip Toner of Seattle. The evening’s honorees were Edward A. Eckenhoff, President Emeritus of NRH; entertainer Mickey Gilley, who cautioned “stay off the bull”; Robert David Hall, aka “Dr. Albert Robbins” on CBS TV’s CSI: Crime Scene Investigation; Kevin Pearce, who suffered a traumatic brain injury while training for the Olympics, and opera diva Marquita Lister, who was treated at NRH for a critical inflammation of the lungs and muscles. One must not omit the equally stellar presenters headed by Dancing with the Stars and All My Children phenomenon J. R. Martinez and including Grammy Award winning singer Yolanda Adams and Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis. All of the evening’s proceeds will support NRH’s five-year, $25-million fundraising effort to retain medical rehabilitation leadership in the next quarter century.