The Luminary Award - 2009

The Luminary Award was created in 2003 to recognize
extraordinary contributions to our goal of supporting brain research
and reducing the stigma attached to mental illness and brain disorders.

PATTY DUKE
Academy Award winning actress, past President of the Screen Actors Guild, and twice, best selling author, Patty Duke has been delighting and challenging audiences for more than 50 years with her work on stage, in movies and on television.

Born Anna Marie Duke, she first began her career in New York City, in the early 1950's with live TV and on stage. Her Oscar-winning portrayal of the blind, deaf and mute, Helen Keller in "The Miracle Worker", launched Patty as one of America's finest young talents and won her the Oscar at the age of 16, the youngest person ever to win at the time.

There has been much recognition from her peers - Along with the Oscar, two Golden Globes, three Emmy Awards and Nine Emmy Nominations, a People's Choice Award, over 90 television movies and many national awards for her work in helping to erase the stigma of mental illness.

In 1982, she was diagnosed and successfully treated for Bi-polar illness. Since the publication of her autobiography, "Call Me Anna" and her second book "A Brilliant Madness", Ms. Duke spends a great deal of time traveling around the country and internationally, advocating for mental health. She has twice spoken in front of Congress to raise funds for research. To continue her effort to erase the stigma associated with mental illness, in 2005, she started a website (www.pattyduke.net) and blog that has become a primary vehicle for information, support for people dealing with mental illness. Ms. Duke was recently appointed to the Advisory Council for Mental Health in Washington, D.C.

In 2006, she received the Lionel Aldridge Award from the National Alliance for Mental Illness, further inspiration to keep up the fight for Mental Health.

One of Anna's greatest achievements came recently when she received an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from University of North Florida. She has also become a visiting Professor at the University of Idaho.

Her greatest support comes from her husband Mike Pearce. Ms. Duke is a Wife, Mother and Nana to 5 grandchildren and 7 dogs.

LEE & BOB PETERSON
Lee and Bob are a couple with an astonishing resume of both individual and joint accomplishments. Bob's family hailed from Sweden, Lee's from Italy.

Lee grew up in a tight knit and colorful Italian family in NYC around the corner from the United Nations. Her mother's great skill in the kitchen was parlayed into a family owned and operated restaurant, Pasquales 840. Lee worked in the kitchen, tended bar, kept house for her family, all while attending school. In addition to her great beauty and many talents, at an early age it became apparent that she was a brilliant singer. She obtained operatic training and was soon auditioning for Broadway shows and tours. Lee sang before the Duchess of Windsor, and toured with the shows Call Me Madame and The King and I among others.

Bob grew up in Atlantic City, N.J. As his dad was a fisherman the family often dined on the freshest catch. Times were tough, and like Lee he worked from an early age doing paper routes and other odd jobs to help out. He was an excellent student, and obtained his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania and N.Y.U. School of Law. Bob worked at United Parcel Service in the legal department. He was head of UPS's legal and regulatory department, Secretary of the Board, and a member of the management committee.

Lee and Bob married in 1954 and soon started a family. Their lives were turned upside down when one of their sons was diagnosed with schizophrenia. This started them on a difficult and painful journey. They immersed themselves in learning about the disorder and finding out what they could do for their son. They were quickly frustrated by the lack of good treatment options and research, and were determined to do something to change this. They have become leaders in the work to raise funding for mental health research, and their courage and openness has helped to decrease the stigma associated with these disorders. Best of all their son David is now stable and a talented artist. Lee and Bob currently reside in Sarasota.