January 15, 2015 more than 600 civic, business and philanthropic leaders from Los Angeles, the State of California and the nation will gather at the Celebrating the Dream luncheon to applaud the accomplishments of the public-private partnership that has created the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital (MLKCH) in Los Angeles. The program will honor Forest Whitaker with the “Community Engagement Award” in recognition of Mr. Whitaker’s contribution to community health and local empowerment. A Community Engager does innovative work that empowers communities, using education, research and a “get involved” approach. Recipients of the Community Engagement Award are an example of commitment to their communities, benefiting generations through projects in nutrition, health, and lifestyle choices. Forest Whitaker exemplifies these traits through his humanitarian work as UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation and with the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI) around the world in South Sudan, Uganda, Mexico, and Los Angeles. Mr. Whitaker will be accepting the award in recognition in particular of his humanitarian efforts to empower youths around the world to lead a life of harmony while actively building their local institutions and empowering local leaders to strive for peace.