Following up on last week's blog, I was honored last Friday by the Russo family Theresa Foundation. 

One of the honoree responsibilities is to help raise donations to the Foundation. I am very pleased to report that with the help of our Gotham Networking Tribe we broke the previous record by 25%. This was very satisfying and I thank everyone involved, contributors included, for this team effort.

The other responsibility of the honoree is to make a speech.  While thinking of what to say, it came to me that it was not me that was being honored by the Theresa Foundation, but that the entire endeavor was an immense exercise in honor of the Human spirit-the Humanity that, hopefully, makes up one's core and soul.

My words were:

I realize you're not really honoring me. We are paying homage to and honoring the human spirit.

The spirit exemplified by the Russos when they took baby Theresa home from the hospital against doctors orders.

The spirit of siblings Dante, Robert and Lizzie when they embraced and welcomed the baby into their home.

The spirit of teenage Allie Drogin who came home from her first day of work at the Theresa Academy "lit up" (in the words of her mother) by her experience which was a jolt to her humanity.

The spirit of the teachers and special needs children at the Academy.

And most of all, the extraordinary human spirit of Theresa, exemplified by her extraordinary smile – "the greatest smile on earth".

I Truly believe that this most worthy endeavor may help me get into heaven and if I get there it is my sincere hope that Theresa will be there to greet me with her smile.

Thank you very much for this extraordinary opportunity-this celebration of the Human Spirit!