2020 Chapman Prize Awarded to Team Rubicon, a Veteran-led Disaster Relief Nonprofit
Washington, DC, USA – January 15, 2021 – The Daniel and Barbara Chapman Trust announced Team Rubicon as the recipient of the 2020 Chapman Prize.
With more than 138,000 volunteers comprised of military veterans, first responders, and civilians, Team Rubicon is an international non-profit organization that rapidly deploys emergency response teams to communities affected by disasters and humanitarian crises across the United States and abroad. In 2020 Team Rubicon deliberately and swiftly pivoted all operations into the fight against COVID-19 including establishing mobile testing sites, decompressing healthcare systems, supporting food banks, and distributing PPE, all against the backdrop of a historic storm season.
In choosing Team Rubicon as this year’s Prize winner, the Chapman Prize Selection Panel was greatly impressed with the organization’s impact and dedication to providing emergency relief across the United States during the COVID pandemic. Since February 2020, Team Rubicon has initiated 331 COVID related operations, facilitated 80,000 COVID tests, and delivered more than 48 million pounds of food. In addition, Team Rubicon’s volunteers transformed convention centers into medical field hospitals and assisted medical providers by augmenting their staffs and providing personal protection equipment.
“Team Rubicon is incredibly proud of our men and women volunteers who recognized COVID-19 is a new type of disaster that created extraordinary needs in communities across the country,” said Art delaCruz, Team Rubicon President and COO. “We are honored to receive the 2020 Chapman Prize, which allows us to continue our service to these communities and allow us to take the next step in our fight against COVID: vaccination delivery and distribution.”
As winner, Team Rubicon will receive a cash award of approximately $106,000 from the Trust that Virginia natives Colonel Daniel T. Chapman and Mrs. Barbara Chapman established to recognize each year the efforts and achievements of individuals and organizations that have contributed most significantly to improving the quality of life in America.
“In fulfilling the legacy of Colonel and Mrs. Chapman, we are honored to support the work of Team Rubicon as it strives to improve the lives and health of hundreds of thousands of people nationwide who have been greatly impacted by the COVID pandemic,” said M. Patricia Barron, Principal Vice President at Burke & Herbert Bank, which serves as the trustee of the Trust. Burke & Herbert Bank is a community bank headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, offering a full array of financial products and services, including trust and estate planning.
The Chapman Prize focuses on a different theme each year. Due to the pandemic, the Trust selected “Health & Wellness” as the theme for 2020. In 2021, the projected theme will be “Educational Success.” This year, Sterling Foundation Management, LLC, of Reston, Virginia, served as administrator of the award. “Team Rubicon epitomizes the type of organization Daniel and Barbara Chapman intended to recognize when they created the Chapman Prize,” commented James W. Lintott, Chairman of Sterling Foundation Management.