Recognizing and honoring Richard Vague, recipient of the 2018 Icon Award, presented by the Germination Project for his hard work and dedication to the City of Philadelphia.

WHEREAS, The Icon Award honors groundbreaking innovations in medicine, recognizing the collaboration among researchers, institutions and philanthropists; and

WHEREAS, As one of the Raju Foundation’s enterprises, the Germination Project aims to create a self-sustaining ecosystem for Philadelphia’s next generation of leadership and serves as an incubator for Philadelphia’s next generation of business, political and civic leaders; and

WHEREAS, Past Icon Award honorees include Drs. Jean Bennett and Albert Maguire in recognition of their pioneering research in the field of gene therapy to reverse macular degeneration and the Temple University Health System for its tireless work on behalf of Philadelphia’s underserved communities; and

WHEREAS, Richard Vague was honored with the third annual Icon Award for his endowment of Penn Medicine’s Immunotherapy Professorship held by Dr. Carl June; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Vague’s generous endowment has contributed to the groundbreaking progress Dr. Carl June and his team have made regarding T-cell-based personal cancer treatments when the National Institutes of Health (“NIH”) would not fund this reasearch; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Carl June has been able to reengineer a person’s immune system to attack disease and his work is truly revolutionizing the way cancer therapy is given; and

WHEREAS, When speaking about Richard Vague’s philanthropy, Dr. Carl June said “thank you, you took a risk on me when no one else would”; and

WHEREAS, Ralph Muller, CEO of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, called Mr. Vague “our modern Medici” as he is supporting Dr. June’s work just as the Medici supported the groundbreaking work of Michelangelo and da Vinci; and

WHEREAS, When discussing the importance of Mr. Vague’s contributions, Dr. Larry Jameson, Dean of the Perelman School of Medicine, noted that Richard has “made a huge difference not only on shining the spotlight on Dr. Carl June, but exhilarated the work that has been going on”; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Vague is currently a managing partner of Gabriel Investments and Chairman of The Governor’s Woods Foundation and is an active board member of the following organizations: Penn Medicine, the Franklin Institute, the Museum of the American Revolution, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation, the Arts and Business Council of Greater Philadelphia, and Friends of Rittenhouse Square; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Vague works tirelessly to promote our City as he also serves as President of the Philadelphia Live Arts and Fringe Festival and has helped create some of the most highly anticipated art events in the City; and

WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia is grateful for Richard Vague’s leadership and contributions to the City; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby recognizes and honors Richard Vague, recipient of the 2018 Icon Award, presented by the Germination Project for his hard work and dedication to the City of Philadelphia.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Richard Vague as evidence of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body.

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