A doctor who has garnered international recognition after his countless appearances on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” will be in town next week to accept an award from a local agency that provides nutritional meals to those afflicted with life-threatening illnesses, including HIV/AIDS.
Dr. Mehmet Oz will accept the inaugural Power of Nutrition Award from the Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutritional Alliance at a luncheon from noon-2 p.m. Oct. 2 at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel, 1200 Market St.
Oz’s list of careers, which already included cardiothoracic surgeon, professor and author, grew earlier this month when he added “talk-show host” to his résumé. “The Dr. Oz Show” premiered Sept. 14 on CBS.
Richard Keaveney, MANNA CEO, said the organization had been looking to work with Oz for some time and the launch of his show served as the impetus for their connection.
“We were interested in working with him because obviously he’s a very smart guy, a great communicator and when he was on ‘The Oprah Show,’ he would often highlight the power of proper nutrition as preventing and managing disease,” Keaveney said. “Since he launched his show, which is on CBS 3, which is a longtime partner and supporter of MANNA, all the powers that be just came together and he agreed to piggyback on his promotional tour and join us for a couple hours.”
Keaveney said Oz’s continued advocacy for healthy food choices resonated with the basic foundation of his organization.
“Food as medicine is really MANNA’s mission, and it’s a phrase that we’re trying to get into people’s minds more and more frequently, so we thought that it would be great to forge a partnership with Dr. Oz, because this is often something that he talks about,” he said, noting that MANNA not only provides nutritional meals to the local community, but also raises awareness about the importance of nutrition. “What we’re doing is making an awful lot of sick people healthier, and we want to start promoting that message and those stories more diligently.”
The Power of Nutrition Award was created this year specifically for Oz, but Keaveney said MANNA may recognize other health leaders in the future who’ve worked to promote similar messages.
The event is being presented in conjunction with CBS 3, whose president and general manager, Jon Hitchock, said the partnership between MANNA and Oz is very fitting.
“CBS 3 has been a proud supporter of MANNA for numerous years,” Hitchcock said. “We are thrilled that an organization that strives to provide nourishing support to so many people in our area has chosen to honor Dr. Oz, who has been a champion of education in nutrition.”
Individual tickets to the luncheon — a heart-healthy meal prepared by the chefs at Loews — are $125, and Keaveny said all funding garnered from the event will help MANNA to continue to provide meals to the area’s most needy residents.
For more information or to order tickets, visit www.mannapa.org
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].