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The ceremony of the “Global Lithuanian Awards 2014” took place on 30 December. The Lifetime Achievement Award of Lithuania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs was given to the American Lithuanian organization Lithuanian Children’s Hope, its long-time head Gražina Liautaud and President of the Los Angeles Lithuanian Children’s Hope department Danguolė Navickienė. The award was given for consistent support for Vilnius University Children’s Hospital and for nurturing the philanthropic tradition.

“We present this award to express Lithuania’s gratitude to the organisation’s for many years of selfless and consistent work for the sake of Lithuania, its children’s future, for raising funds to modernize the hospital and to treat its little patients, for the support that is worth millions and that has allowed to save many lives and raise professional qualification both in Lithuania and abroad of the doctors who save lives,” underlined Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevičius presenting the nomination.

According to the Lithuanian Foreign Minister, besides professional ambitions, a sincere desire to share professional achievements, knowledge and goodness is no less important, as well as setting an example for other Lithuanians how one combines professional achievements with love for Lithuania.

The ceremony was organised by the non-profit platform “Global Lithuanian Leaders”. The awards were given also to other Lithuanians, who create international opportunities for Lithuania through their professional achievements.

There were other award recipients, such as brothers Saulius and Aidas Dailidė, founders of Pixelmator, for the world’s leading Lithuanian business idea and for inhabiting Lithuanian products in the world of Apple; Marius Dundulis, founder of “Euromonitor International Lithuania”, for attracting investment and for bringing an international organisation to Lithuania for the benefit of the whole Central Europe; neuroscientist, Professor at the University of Houston, Dr Jokūbas Žiburkus (USA) for reunion of Lithuanian minds, for the continuous intellectual dissemination in Lithuanian and American universities and for the productive international connections between academia and business;  Senior Researcher in the Department of Quantum Electronics at Vilnius University, co-founder and research manager of “Lightcon” Romualdas Danielius for implemented innovations and for spreading the light with inventive and far-fetching light technologies.

The awards were also given to Rytis Vitkauskas (USA), co-founder of “LT Big Brother”, the first and the only global voluntary professional mentoring programme for Lithuanian students around the world; President of Sinickas Communications, Inc., Angela Sinickas (USA), for brain exchange and for broadening the understanding of business communication in Lithuania and generous sharing of expertise, and contact network; the Central and East European correspondent for “The Economist” Edward Lucas (UK) for sincere friendship and for keeping Lithuania and the Baltic region among the hot topics in European discourse.