Newsday Columnist Wins Elder Leadership Award
Despite Personal Battles with a Stroke and Cancer, Journalist Continues to Boldly Address Senior Issues
NAELA awarded the second annual NAELA Elder Leadership Award to Saul Friedman, a popular columnist for Newsday, one of the largest daily newspapers in the nation. Saul Friedman was presented with the award on May 15 at the 2008 NAELA Symposium at The Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa in Lahaina, Hawaii. The award ceremony included a professional video presentation highlighting Saul Friedman's life and work for the benefit of other people; and included a $1,000 contribution in the Saul Friedman’s name to the Thoracic Surgery Department, Dr. Stephen Yang, Johns Hopkins Medical Center, Baltimore, MD. The award is designed to encourage and promote activism and involvement by seniors for the betterment of the lives of others.
The NAELA Elder Leadership Award is designed to promote activism and involvement by seniors for the betterment of the lives of others. NAELA Members nominated possible finalists according to the criteria that the nominee be a person age 65 or older who has made significant contributions to others on a statewide or national level.
Friedman has spent the past dozen years writing “Gray Matters,” a weekly column that continues to inspire and enlighten readers about important aging-related topics. The former White House reporter, who covered every president between Lyndon B. Johnson and Bill Clinton – now focuses on senior issues, tackling hot-button topics such as Medicare coverage, Social Security protection and long-term care insurance. Despite suffering physical setbacks in recent years, including a stroke and cancer, Friedman has continued to regularly generate content for the New York-based publication, earning respect and admiration of his readers.
