HealthCorps' 6th Annual Gala to Address Child Obesity Crisis; Honors Diane Sawyer and Matthew Modine, Hosted by Chairman and Co-Founders Dr. Mehmet Oz and Lisa Oz

NEW YORK, April 10, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- HealthCorps® (www.healthcorps.org) will honor Diane Sawyer and Matthew Modine for their significant contributions to the health and well-being of American youth at their 6th Annual Gala, The Garden of Angels Gala, on Wednesday, April 18, at the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel. The event will raise funds for HealthCorps, leading a nationwide movement toward a new generation of healthy young people.

Dr. Mehmet Oz, HealthCorps Chairman, renowned heart surgeon and two-time Emmy® Award-winning host of the Emmy® Award-winning "The Dr. Oz Show," and his wife Lisa Oz, will co-host the Gala that celebrates the work of Sawyer, ABC "World News Tonight" Anchor and child advocate, and Modine, actor, producer, environmentalist and founder of Bicycle for a Day. Dr. and Mrs. Oz co-founded HealthCorps nine years ago to engage youth as the catalysts for simple lifestyle changes to enhance their health and the health of their families.

HealthCorps supporters expected to attend are: Actor Ben Vereen, Talk Show host Montel Williams, "Detachment" star Betty Kaye, "The Chew" Co-host Daphne Oz, Chef and Author Rocco DiSpirito, "CBS This Morning" Anchor Gayle King, Actor/Rapper Ice T and his wife Model/Actress Coco, Miss USA Alyssa Campanella, Miss Teen USA Danielle Doty, CBS Medical Correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook, KKR's John Mack, ESPN Anchor Jesse Palmer and Model/Actor Adam Senn, among others.

HealthCorps national sponsors include: USANA Health Sciences Inc. and Evamor Artesian Water "Official Water Sponsor of HealthCorps." Other significant sponsors include: the New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, WellPoint, the California Endowment, the California Department of Public Health, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The Institute for Integrative Health, the Dalio Foundation, VEMMA Nutrition Company, the California Walnut Board, Florida East Coast Realty, Sanofi US, and many others.

"I have known both Diane and Matthew personally for many years, and their advocacy for young people has impressed and inspired me," said Dr. Oz, HealthCorps Chairman. "Lisa and I are delighted to honor them for their work, and to celebrate our patrons, Coordinators, and strategic partners who give us our wings to grow."

Michelle Bouchard, HealthCorps President, said, "Our program is also guiding students toward careers in health, wellness and the culinary arts and we are restoring their relationship with nature. We are also helping young people to discover things they are hungry for beyond food."

"Garden of Angels" guests will be treated to special performances by R&B/Pop artist Shontelle, dance music legends TKA, an original song and dance performance by Broadway actor Stepp Stewart, a dance routine by "the boy band of dance" ICONic Boyz, as well as music from 15-year-old jazz pianist Rocco Fiorentino and the crowd-pleasing Eturnity Band.

The Gala will kick off with a Red Carpet "step and repeat" during the cocktail "health fair" hour featuring booths where strategic partners and Coordinators highlight HealthCorps' curriculum. The evening includes a silent and live auction as well as acceptance speeches by the honorees during the seated black tie dinner. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit https://www.healthcorps.org/gardenofangels.

Proceeds raised at the Gala will be used to establish HealthCorps' curriculum in additional high schools; launch "HealthCorps University," a progressive training program for teachers; and enhance the organization's function as a research vehicle for health messaging and polling. By 2015, HealthCorps hopes to have a presence in 100 schools.

About HealthCorps
HealthCorps® (www.healthcorps.org), a 501 (C) 3 co-founded by world-renowned cardiac surgeon and two-time Emmy® Award-winning host Dr. Mehmet Oz and his wife Lisa Oz, is building a movement to get to the underbelly of childhood obesity by helping Americans discover what they are really hungry for and why. The heart of HealthCorps is its "Coordinators," a network of recent college graduates deferring medical school or graduate health studies for two years to work full time as peer-mentors in an assigned high school. They carry out a core curriculum on fitness, nutrition and mental strength. HealthCorps' mission also includes extending its message to family members, friends and community residents through public service. HealthCorps Coordinators give teens purpose, help develop human character and inspire an interest in health and culinary arts careers. HealthCorps also serves as a "Living Lab" - exploring the complex, underlying causes of the obesity crisis and discovering and communicating solutions. HealthCorps is bringing many initiatives together to address the "Whole Child" and activate the students' mind, body and spirit. As a result, HealthCorps is transforming the educational paradigm one school at a time. The program network spans 53 schools in 13 states. Please follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/healthcorps and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HealthCorps.

SOURCE HealthCorps