Last Sunday morning, celiac and gluten-free advocates in the Philadelphia area awoke to a pleasant surprise. There, on the front page of the Philadelphia Inquirer , was an article about Alice Bast. The Founder and President of the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness had won the 2010 Philadelphia Award, a prestigious honor given to an individual who has improved the region by educating, enriching and inspiring the people who live there.

The Philadelphia Inquirer broke the news in an article about Alice’s personal experience with celiac disease and her ongoing efforts to improve diagnosis and end the suffering of those with undiagnosed celiac disease. The profile touched on Alice’s many achievements through NFCA, including the launch of programs like GREAT gluten-free training and CeliacCMECentral.com for physician education. She was also credited with helping the rise in gluten-free food now available in natural and mainstream food stores.

Alice will accept the award at a ceremony on May 17 in Philadelphia.

The win was applauded in the celiac and gluten-free community, with supporters, chefs, manufacturers and physicians offering their congratulations. Alice hopes the award will help advance NFCA’s advocacy work and bring greater awareness of celiac and gluten-free needs overall.