Utah Youth Village will honor Dinesh Patel with its 2010 Helping Hand award, given to those who have shown "extraordinary love and support for Utah's most vulnerable children." It will be presented to Patel at the organization's annual Helping Hand Gala at 6 p.m. Oct. 6 at Little America Hotel.
Born and raised in Zambia, Patel is considered a father of biotechnology and pharmaceuticals in the Rocky Mountain region. He co-founded and led TheraTech, founded and led Ashni Naturaceuticals, co-founded Salus Therapeutics and holds 15 U.S. patents and foreign counterparts.
He also chaired Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s transition team and now chairs the Utah Science Technology and Research (USTAR) initiative governing board. He and wife Kalpana Patel have been supporters of the Utah Youth Village for more than 16 years.
For information or to buy tickets, call 801-272-9980 or visit www.youthvillage.org.