On Wednesday, first lady Melania Trump was honored with the 2020 “Woman of Distinction” award from Palm Beach Atlantic University, thanking her parents for their “support and love.”
Mrs. Trump spoke to a crowd in Palm Beach to accept the Woman of Distinction award for her work in fighting opioid abuse and abusive social media behavior by children as part of her “Be Best” initiative.
To receive the award, Mrs. Trump thanked in particular her parents, Viktor and Amalija Knavs, for their commitment to her family.
“As a Palm Beach member of this beautiful community, it is especially meaningful to receive an award from a group that I respect and support,” Mrs. Trump said.
“I’d like to thank two special guests for joining me here today, my mother and father. Thank you both for the support and love throughout my life,” Mrs. Trump continued. “I will always be grateful for all that you have done for our family over the years. Thank you.”
Mrs. Trump also highlighted her work since launching the Be Best initiative, noting the strides she’s made in working with tech corporations to create healthy online environments for children and shedding a light on the opioid crisis.
Mrs. Trump said:
As the first lady of the United States, it is a great honor to serve the people of this incredible country. Two years ago, I launched Be Best, an initiative dedicated to ensuring that we as Americans are doing everything we can to take care of the next generation.
When we teach our children to cherish our values and care for each other, they are better prepared to carry on Americans’ legacy of compassion, service, and patriotism. It is our duty as parents and adults to ensure they have the best opportunities to live fulfilling, healthy, and successful lives.”
Mrs. Trump will join President Trump in India later this week on their first international trip in the new year.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.