SAN FRANCISCO - Asia Society Northern California bestowed it's Leadership & Innovation Award for Education to the San Francisco Hep B Free campaign at their annual awards gala on May 5, 2011.
 
In conjunction with the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, luminaries from the fields of Business & Policy, Arts & Culture, and Education were honored for their barrier-breaking contributions and forward-thinking projects.
 
The SF Hep B Free Campaign received the Education award for its role in raising awareness and educating both the public and healthcare providers about Hepatitis B infection - the greatest cause of liver cancer, and the greatest health disparity for Asian Pacific Islanders. Steve Chen, co-founder of YouTube, received the award for Arts & Culture, and Naren Gupta, founder of investment firm Nexus Venture Partners, was the honoree in the Business & Policy category.
 
On behalf of Hep B Free, California Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Fiona Ma, and Ted Fang, a co-founder of Hep B Free and Executive Director of the AsianWeek Foundation accepted the award.
 
Ma, Honorary Chairperson for Hep B Free, said, "We are delighted and humbled to receive this prestigious award from the Asia Society."
 
One in ten Asian Pacific Islanders has hepatitis B, and like so many, Ma herself was infected at birth.
 
"The Hep B Free campaign is built on raising awareness and action through partnerships and collaborations," Ma said. "This award will further bring attention and new partners towards ending Hep B disease."
 
"As a partner in outreach and programming, the Asia Society has seen the dynamism and impact of the Hep B Free model in San Francisco. We are particularly pleased that this groundbreaking campaign is now being replicated in other cities around the country. We are proud to work with San Francisco Hep B Free and to recognize them with our annual Award for Leadership in Education," said Bruce Pickering, Executive Director of Asia Society Northern California.

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About Asia Society

Asia Society, founded in 1965, is a leading global organization composed of 11 centers worldwide dedicated to fostering inter-cultural dialogue and building harmonious communities for those with a passionate interest in Asia. Its Annual Dinner, the group's most prestigious and largest fundraiser, is attended by over 350 guests yearly, including leaders from business and civic affairs, academia, the diplomatic corps, and the media. Featured speakers of past Annual Dinners have included The Honorable Madeleine Albright; US Senator Dianne Feinstein; Mayor Gavin Newsom; George Lucas, director and founder of Lucasfilm; Peter Darbee, President, CEO and Chairman of PG&E; Nobel Laureate and Secretary of Energy Steven Chu.

About San Francisco Hep B Free

San Francisco Hep B Free is a first-of-its-kind collaboration between city government, private healthcare community organizations and businesses. The campaign's goal is to make San Francisco Hepatitis B-free by (1) creating public and healthcare provider awareness about the importance of testing & vaccinating Asian and Pacific Islanders for Hepatitis B; (2) promoting routine Hepatitis B screenings and vaccinations within the primary care medical community; and (3) facilitating access to treatment for chronically infected individuals. The SF Hep B Free Steering Committee is made up of the San Francisco Department of Public Health, the Asian Week Foundation, and the Asian Liver Center at Stanford University. www.sfhepbfree.org