Drs Neelima and Mukul Parikh of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania have been awarded the 2016 Humanitarian Award by the United Way of the Capital Region's Tocqueville Society.
The Parikhs are long-time donors of the United Way, providing the largest individual-given gift in 2015 at US$100,000.
The society said that the Indian-American physician couple has been honoured for their outstanding commitment to improving lives throughout the region.
Both the doctors have served in leadership positions within their profession. Both have practised anesthesiology since 1984 at West Shore Anaesthesia and Riverside Anaesthesia Associates, respectively.
Neelima and Mukul have used their medical talents, as well as their spirit of philanthropy, to take medical mission trips to parts of India, Africa, Haiti, the Philippines and Thailand since the 1980s.
In 2013, Mukul and Neelima founded Operation Medical, a non-profit organisation comprised of trained professionals and volunteers committed to providing high-quality medical care and education to the most at-risk communities around the globe.
Both are very active with the Hindu American Religious Institute (HARI). Neelima served as the first female president of HARI and on its board of directors. Mukul has served as chair of the board of HARI, where he also taught Sunday school for 25 years and coordinated youth group activities for a decade.
The Humanitarian Award is presented annually to a local leader, or leaders, who meets the criteria of having a commitment to voluntary systems of human services; are outstanding in providing leadership and working with others; having a creative approach to serving the community; provide sustained service over a period of years; are inspirational in encouraging others to serve; their actions have had or will have a major impact on changing and saving lives; and, produce results that are clearly visible and tangible.
