TORONTO, Oct. 10, 2017 – On November 17th, The Daughters for Life Foundation (DFL) will honour two outstanding Canadian women at its annual DFL Gala Dinner in Toronto. The Lifetime Achievement Luminary Award will go to writer and cultural icon Margaret Atwood for her portrayals of strong female characters in her novels. Penny Oleksiak, the youngest Canadian to ever receive a Gold Medal at the Olympics, will receive the Trailblazer Luminary Award for her role in inspiring other female athletes around the world.

The Daughters for Life Gala is the only event of its kind in the international education community that promotes peace through the education of girls in conflict regions. In addition to the Luminary Awards, the evening will celebrate the stories of several young women from across the Middle East who recently arrived in Canada on scholarships at partner institutions.

Every year, the DLF Gala attracts respected business leaders, social activists, celebrities and members of the Canadian Parliament.

This year, the Honourable Reza Moridi, who serves as Minister of Research, Innovation and Science will be in attendance. The evening will be hosted by Steve Anthony, Toronto’s favourite morning show personality on CP24. Miriam Khalil, the acclaimed Lebanese-Canadian soprano, will provide an exclusive performance.

The Daughters for Life Gala Dinner is dedicated to celebrating and honouring individuals that have made a significant impact on the international community. All proceeds from the event go to helping ambitious young women from the Middle East achieve their dreams of becoming global leaders through scholarships at top educational institutions in Canada and the US.

This year’s academic partners for the Gala are University of Toronto, Ryerson University, Centennial College, Mohawk College, International Language Academy of Canada (ILAC), Trent University, Brock University, Culture Works and McMaster University.

Honorary Chairs for the event include Louis Dennis, Executive Vice-President of Penguin Random House Canada; Michael Dan, Social Entrepreneur and Philanthropist; Suleiman Rashid, Senior Partner at Rashid & Quinney; Dr. Patrick Dean, President and Vice-Chancellor of McMaster University; Dr. Alan Wildeman, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Windsor, Dr. James Orbinski, Humanitarian Advocate and Former President of Doctors Without Borders; Jonathan Kolber, President of International Language Academy of Canada (ILAC), Abdullah Snobar, Executive Director of DMZ Ryerson University; Victoria Lennox, CEO of Startup Canada; and Mervon Mehta, Executive Director of Performing Arts for The Royal Conservatory.

For further information: For media, tickets and sponsorship information: https://www.daughtersforlife-gala.com, communications@daughtersforlife.com, 416-640-0246