Award includes $250,000 contribution
ORLANDO, Fla. (April 7, 2021) — The Board of Directors of Dr. Phillips Charities has awarded the 2021 Dr. Phillips Leadership Award to UCP of Central Florida. In the innovative and philanthropic tradition of their founders, Dr. P. Phillips, his wife Della, and their son Howard, the Dr. Phillips Leadership Award, which includes a $250,000 contribution, honors nonprofit organizations that demonstrate community leadership, financial stewardship, and sustainable and impactful programs that change lives.
“We are proud to bestow the 2021 Dr. Phillips Leadership Award on Dr. Ilene Wilkins and UCP of Central Florida and its long-time supporters the Holloway-Bailes Families,” said Kenneth Robinson, President of Dr. Phillips Charities. “Dr. Phillips Charities celebrates UCP’s growth and community impact, especially over the past 20 years, to serve children, teens, young adults, and their families through 8 locations in Central Florida; empower children with and without disabilities to achieve their potential through inclusive education; and to offer physical, occupational, speech and other therapy without educational interruption as part of the school day and intertwined with students’ learning goals.”
The Dr. Phillips Leadership Award also acknowledges the dedication of UCP of Central Florida’s leadership team to improving the lives of children with disabilities and cultivating inclusion in our community for those with disabilities. “From our first gift in 1966, to the Dr. P. Phillips Education Center at Pine Hills, to our recent support of the construction of a new West Orange campus in Winter Garden, Dr. Phillips Charities has been a longtime partner with UCP of Central Florida,” said James Ferber, Chairman of the Board for Dr. Phillips Charities. “Having given more than $4 Million in support of their mission and programs, we have seen firsthand their commitment to empowering children with and without disabilities to achieve their potential in an inclusive environment.”
“I am grateful to accept the Dr. Phillips Leadership Award on behalf of UCP of Central Florida and our board of directors,” said Dr. Ilene Wilkins, CEO of UCP of Central Florida. “It has been an honor to work with Dr. Phillips Charities over the years. For more than 60 years, UCP of Central Florida has provided vital therapy and support services for children and families touched by disabilities, and over the past decade has become a national leader in inclusive education by challenging the mainstream “Special Ed” model through a consortium of inclusive Elementary Schools, giving children with and without disabilities the opportunity to receive the same quality education and school experience. Partners like Dr. Phillips Charities help us advance our mission and make the difference in the lives of Central Florida’s children. Together, we can make it happen.”
ABOUT DR. PHILLIPS CHARITIES The Dr. Phillips name has been a major economic and philanthropic presence in the Central Florida community since the turn of the 20th century. Dr. Phillips Charities (Dr. Phillips Inc. and The Dr. P. Phillips Foundation) uses the earnings from its investment and real estate income to give financial assistance to hundreds of charities serving primarily in Orange and Osceola counties. Dr. Phillips has contributed nearly $200 million in grants, pledges and program-related investments to Central Florida charities responding to the needs of the community and directly touching the lives of thousands of children and families. For more information, visit www.DrPhillips.org.
