Forbes Billionaire Naguib Sawiris, Pioneering Philanthropist Ola Ghabbour to Be Honored by Egyptian American Community in New York

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Coptic Orphans:

When: Saturday, October 18^th, 2008, 6:00pm

Where: The New York Downtown Marriott, Grand Ballroom

Who: Keynote Speakers Naguib Sawiris, Chairman and CEO of Orascom Telecom, philanthropist, entrepreneur, Forbes billionaire, and recently first non-Asian private investor to penetrate the North Korean market; Ola Ghabbour, Secretary General, 57357 Children's Hospital, catalyst behind the recent establishment of the first children's cancer hospital in the Middle East and Africa, in part by leading a philanthropic movement encouraging even ordinary Egyptians to contribute small amounts.

What: Leaders from the Egyptian diaspora will honor Naguib Sawiris and Ola Ghabbour as joint recipients of the 2008 Leading by Example Award during the Coptic Orphans 20th anniversary gala. Sawiris and Ghabbour will be present to receive the award and mark the completion of 20 years of work with children in Egypt by Coptic Orphans. A brief press conference will be held for approved media representatives during the VIP reception preceding the event. Media can contact Coptic Orphans for approval.

Why: Coptic Orphans is presenting the award to celebrate twenty years of impact in the lives of over 14,000 children throughout Egypt, drawing on its network of over 250 local volunteers in Egypt and its many local partnerships. Naguib Sawiris, featured in Forbes Magazine during 2008 as one of the world's most significant billionaires, has ensured a brighter future for children by changing the economic landscape of Egypt. Ola Ghabbour's outstanding leadership behind the Children's Cancer Hospital in Egypt has demonstrated by example that mountains can be moved with the cooperation of ordinary citizens.

Coptic Orphans is an award-winning international Christian development organization that unlocks the God-given potential of disadvantaged children in Egypt, and so equips them to break the cycle of poverty and become change-makers in their communities. Since the founding of the organization in 1988, Coptic Orphans has touched the lives of over 14,000 children in Egypt.