Dana and David Dornsife ’65 have been named among the first recipients of the Water Warrior Award presented by the humanitarian organization World Vision.

The Dornsifes, philanthropists who in 2011 gave the largest single gift ever in USC’s history to name the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, began their work with World Vision in 1981 to help solve the global water crisis.

The Dornsife Family Foundation is one of the top private contributors to the water sector, having already provided more than $40 million in support.

World Vision is also honoring Steven M. Hilton of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. Over the last 24 years, Steven Hilton, the current chair, president and CEO of the Hilton Foundation, and the foundation’s board of directors have helped bring clean water to rural areas primarily in Africa.

Ghana gets help

Through the efforts of the Dornsifes and the Hilton Foundation, who began working together in 2000, guinea worm, a water-borne illness, has been effectively wiped out of entire regions of Ghana. Children are no longer dying of preventable disease, girls are able to receive an education and women no longer walk long distances for unclean water.

“Dana and I are thrilled to receive this first Water Warrior Award along with Steve Hilton,” David Dornsife said. “While we’ve made much progress in the fight to end the global water crisis, we’re even more excited about our planned goals for Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene through 2020.”

World Vision thanked both the Dornsifes and the Hilton Foundation for helping to transform its water, sanitation and hygiene sector into a more effective program. World Vision is now the world’s largest nongovernmental provider of clean water, delivering access to one new person every 30 seconds.

“Thousands are alive today because of the generosity of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and Dana and David Dornsife,” said Richard Stearns, World Vision’s U.S. president. “World Vision is proud to present Steve Hilton and the Dornsifes with the first-ever Water Warrior Award. We are grateful for their partnership and contribution.”

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization conducting relief, development and advocacy activities in its work with children, families and their communities in nearly 100 countries to help them reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender.

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