2022 KID Best Friend Award Night

KID Best Friend Award Night – May 26, 2022

KID held our annual Best Friend Award (BFA) Night on Thursday, May 26, 2022, from 6-8:30pm CT at the Gleacher Center in Chicago. The event was also live-streamed for those who couldn’t attend in person. The BFA Night marks our progress, honors the memory of Danny and other victims of unsafe children’s products, and celebrates champions of children’s safety. The BFA Night is KID’s primary annual fundraising event and the proceeds support our lifesaving programs year-round.

We were delighted this year to honor Parents Against Tip-Overs (PAT). The organization consists of parents of young children who have lost their lives from a furniture tip-over incident, and has been a true ally over the years to push for changes in child product safety. PAT’s mission to strengthen tip-over prevention through advocacy work and by educating others has played a significant role in advancing The STURDY Act, and getting the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to move forward with a strong rule that will make dressers safer.

Guests enjoyed a fun-filled evening with drinks and small bites from Wolfgang Puck Catering, live music, wine toss, auction, and raffle, and heard from Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky and KID Executive Director Nancy Cowles about program updates as well as KID’s upcoming Design Safety Toolkit.

Thank you to our sponsors: Feldman Shepherd LLP, Tomasik Kotin Kasserman Trial Lawyers, Turano Baking Co., Linda Ginzel & Boaz Keysar, Jeremy McGee & Janet McGee in Memory of Ted McGee, GATX Corp., Consumer Reports, Amazon, Breathable Baby, Engineering Systems Inc., IKEA, The Landgraf Family Foundation, The Lineweaver Trust, Kelly’s Pub, The Philip H. Corboy Foundation, Julia Harris Garg & Sonny Garg, Ira Weiss, Susan Nied, and Holly Raider & Jerold Lavin.

You can watch the live stream on YouTube here. If you missed the event, you can still make a donation here.

Past Best Friend Awardees

2021

  • Dr. Erin Mannen for her groundbreaking infant sleep research that has led to policy changes and saved lives.

2020

2019

2018

  • Linda Ginzel and Boaz Keysar, KID Founders for 20 years of dedication to fighting for children’s product safety

2017

  • The SEGAL DESIGN INSTITUTE AT NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY for its participation in KID’s Teach Early Safety Testing (TEST) program.
  • MICHIGAN ENGINEERING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN for their participation in KID’s Teach Early Safety Testing (TEST) program
  • The INSTITUTE OF DESIGN AT THE ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY for its work with KID on innovations to improve recall effectiveness.
  • THE RUSTANDY CENTER FOR SOCIAL SECTOR INNOVATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO BOOTH SCHOOL OF BUSINESS for its support of KID.

2016

  • Lisa M. Turano for her voice in support of children’s product safety and philanthropic support for KID

2015

  • Barbara Guthrie for her leadership on children’s safety at Underwriters Laboratories

2014

  • Inez Tenenbaum for her leadership on children’s product safety

2013

  • Shawn Kasserman for his strong voice in support of children’s product safety

2012

  • Sonny Garg for his instrumental role in developing responses to unsafe children’s products and his strong leadership in KID

2011

  • Mitch Lipka for his commitment to reporting on children’s product safety

2010

  • Gary Smith, MD for his pioneering work in the field of childhood injury prevention

2009

  • US Representative Bobby Rush and US Senator Mark Pryor for their commitment to children and leadership on product safety

2008

  • US Senator Richard Durbin for his commitment to children and leadership on product safety

2007

  • Robert Tanz, MD and Elizabeth Powell, MD, MPH for their leadership in injury prevention research and policy

2006

  • Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan for her enforcement of Illinois’ Children’s Product Safety Act and her strong commitment to children’s safety

2005

  • Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm for her support of the Children’s Product Safety Act and advocacy for children’s safety

2004

  • Rachel Weintraub and Mary Ellen Fise for their role as strong advocates for children’s product safety

2003

  • Commissioner Caroline Shoenberger, State Senator Carol Ronen and US Representative Jan Schakowsky for their dedication to changing public policy to protect children

2002

  • NBC Target 5 Consumer Unit for outstanding coverage of children’s product safety

2001

  • E. Marla Felcher for her groundbreaking book, It’s No Accident: How Corporations Sell Dangerous Baby Products