Michael Milken
Survivor Inductee

Drew Nieporent
Humanitarian, 2005

Senator Mc.Cain
2004 Inductee

Deirdre and Don Imus
Humanitarian Award

Geraldine Ferraro, Fran and Jack Dalessandro
2003 Inductee

Ken Langone
2003 Humanitarian Award

Patrick McMullan
2002 Inductee

Douglas McCormick
2002 Humanitarian Award

Mayor Rudolph Giuliani
2001 Inductee

Nancy Brinker
2000 Inductee

Carol M. Baldwin
1999 Inductee

Jill Eikenberry
1998 Inductee

Harry Belafonte
1998 Inductee

William R. Johnston
1998 Humanitarian Award

Linda Ellerbee
1997 Inductee

CR&T Honors Deirdre and Don Imus as Humanitarians

Humanitarian Award - Deirdre and Don Imus

Deirdre Imus balances her life between serious green activism and the joy of working with children on her cattle ranch. She's the co-founder and director of a not-for-profit organization (the Deirdre Imus Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology) that, among other things, replaces toxic cleaning products with green ones in hospitals, schools and retirement centers. She's also working with a company to create an entire nonprofit line of less-toxic cleaning products.

The Imus family founded and directs a 4,000-acre working cattle ranch in Ribera, New Mexico, where Deirdre, Don and their son Wyatt, live five months of the year and host children with cancer and blood disorders. The children experience the Old West, complete with rodeo arena, trail rides, and cowboy chores. They also dig into freshly prepared, kid-friendly organic meals. After their stay, their parents often ask for recipes and ask about greener cleaning methods.

Don Imus was born in Riverside, California in 1940 . He left high school to join the marines and the Marine Corp. bank. After he was discharged in 1959 he worked (unsuccessfully by his own admission) as a window dresser, rock-n-roll musician, train brakeman and miner. In 1968 he finally found his career when he took a job as a disk jockey in a small radio station in Palmdale, California. In 1971 his reputation as a “spontaneous radio personality” brought him to New York City and WNBC. After a two year hiatus in the Cleveland market, he returned to NYC in 1979.

WFAN all sport radio bought WNBC in 1987 and retained Imus who successfully overhauled his show, Imus in the Morning, to an all talk format. He married Deirdre in 1994 and they have a son Wyatt. Imus has long championed children’s health charities, raising money for research into pediatric cancer and sudden death syndrome and the construction of the Don Imus/WFAN Pediatric Center for Tomorrows Children at Hackensack (NJ) Medical Center.

We are pleased that both Deirdre and Don Imus accepted our Humanitarian Award. Their spirit of giving of themselves for the welfare of others is an honest example of the charitable spirit.