ATLANTA — The CNN Heroes program reserved an unprecedented honor Sunday night for former President Jimmy Carter and the late First Lady Rosalynn Carter.
The CNN Heroes awards, which annually honors everyday difference makers, for the first time made an exception to its typical program by honoring the Carters with a CNN Heroes Legacy Award.
It is the first time the program presented such an award in its 17-year history.
Martin Sheen presented the award during the show Sunday night.
The couple's granddaughter, Dr. Sarah Carter, accepted the award on their behalf.
"When my grandparents left the White House - or were involuntarily retired, as my grandfather likes to put it - they dedicated heir lives to empowering people to improve their own situations. Whether in Plains, Georgia or in the tiniest village at the end of the road in Ghana, they trusted people to make the best decision for themselves and to work hard for their own benefit," Dr. Carter said. "My grandparents always reminded us the people the Carter Center aimed to help were just as intelligent, just as hard-working, just as dedicated to their families as anyone else. The partnerships they forged and the trust that they earned in those communities all over the world are at the heart of the Carter Center's success. My grandparents had the ability to envision the world as it should be with astonishing moral clarity, and the audacity and determination to pursue that vision over decades. They touched so many peoples' lives along the way."
Jimmy and Rosalynn established the Carter Center in Atlanta in 1982 and, over the years, the center's work has touched on advancing human rights, peace, democracy and public health around the world. The couple also famously built a decades-long relationship with Habitat for Humanity.
"Deep thanks to @CNNHeroes and Martin Sheen for honoring our beloved co-founders for their service to humanity," the Carter Center posted on X after the award was announced. "And thank you, Dr. Sarah Carter, for your beautiful tribute."