Senator Tom Harkin to receive Max J. Starkloff Lifetime Achievement Award in St. Louis

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014, St. Louis, MO - Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) will travel to St. Louis to receive the Max J. Starkloff Lifetime Achievement Award at “Party to the Max,” hosted by the Starkloff Disability Institute (SDI) at Union Station Grand Hall on Saturday, September 20, 2014. Harkin, a longtime advocate for people with disabilities and primary author of the Americans with Disabilities Act, will retire from the Senate in January 2015.

“We are truly honored that Senator Harkin, our Champion of disability rights, will join us at ‘Party to the Max’ to accept a well-deserved lifetime achievement award before his upcoming retirement,” says Colleen Starkloff, Co-director of SDI. “I look forward to his reflection on 40 years in Congress.”

“Tom Harkin is one of the strongest advocates for people with disabilities and he is tireless in his advocacy,” says David Newburger, SDI Co-director. “As a U.S. Senator, he has sponsored nearly all of the most important bills and legislative amendments that have benefited people with disabilities over the last 18 years,” he adds.

In addition to the groundbreaking Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Harkin legislative credits include:

· Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act Amendments of 1987

· Protection and Advocacy for Mentally Ill Individuals Amendments Act of 1988

· Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals With Disabilities Act of 1988

· Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1990

· ADA Amendments Act of 2008

· Workforce Investment and Opportunities Act 2013

A complete list of Senator Harkin’s work can be found at Senator Harkins’s website.

The Max J. Starkloff Lifetime Achievement Award is named for SDI Co-founder Max J. Starkloff (1937-2010), whose legacy for working throughout his adult life to change societal attitudes about people with disabilities is legendary. Max Starkloff’s trailblazing work is respected by advocates for people with disabilities and civil rights leaders across the U.S and around the world.Party to the Max will celebrate the birthday and life’s work of Max J. Starkloff. In addition to Senator Tom Harkin, the evening includes an entertaining program with celebrity speaker Maysoon Zayid, an actress, professional standup comedian and writer who jokes about her global culture and life with cerebral palsy. Ray Hartmann is Party to the Max gala chair and Dr. William H. Danforth is honorary chair. Former KSDK NewsChannel5 News Anchor Karen Foss will be the evening’s MC. The gala evening will begin at 6 p.m.

Patron Tickets are $500; Benefactor Tickets are $150. To purchase tickets, visit www.starkloff.org.Proceeds benefit the Starkloff Disability Institute (SDI), a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a world that welcomes people with disabilities.

Contact: Lori Becker 314-588-7090

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