Last night, Queen Sofia presented Esther Koplowitz with the Callia Foundation's "2020 Ibero-American Patronage Prize" in recognition of her work through the Foundation that bears her name. In addition to Esther Koplowitz's tireless philanthropic work of over 25 years, she has also shown extraordinary personal dedication aimed at bringing happiness to all those who enjoy the benefits of the Foundation that bears her name.

In her words of gratitude when collecting the Ibero-American patronage prize at the San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid from HM Queen Sofia, Esther Koplowitz alluded to the example set by the work undertaken by Queen Sofia, whom she characterised as "the queen of solidarity".

The ceremony was also witnessed by the Minister of Science and Innovation, Pedro Duque; by Carmen Reviriego, president of the Callia Foundation, the entity that organises the prizes; and the director of the art gallery, Fernando de Teherán.
The Esther Koplowitz Foundation, founded in 1970 and institutionalised on 13 December 1995, focuses on elderly (nearly always destitute) people with physical and mental disabilities, and the advancement of biomedical research. It also awards scholarships and study grants.

Since its creation, it has been helping to build and equip the Residencia Nuestra Casa home for the elderly in Collado Villalba (Madrid) which can accommodate over 140 residents, in addition to 60 daytime places. Since 2001, it has been providing excellent facilities for the elderly, both those who are in good health and those with illnesses such as Alzheimer's. It has also built the Residencia Fort Pienc home for the elderly, in Barcelona, which focuses on accommodating elderly people requiring different types of care depending on their current condition, with capacity for 140 residents, in addition to 60 daytime places. The Foundation has now built and equipped a third home, Nostra Casa del Vall de la Ballestera, in Valencia, for people with a variety of physical and mental disabilities requiring highly specialised care, and which has all manner of facilities for the treatment and care for its 60 residents; there is a second Nido Foundation building in Madrid that is a rehabilitation centre for children with cerebral palsy.

Special mention should also go to the Esther Koplowitz Centre in Barcelona, a complex inaugurated on 4 October, 2010 and one of the most notable biomedical research centres in Europe.

The CEK continues to have an extensive scientific output, it produces more than 100 scientific articles a year and makes important contributions in different fields, such as oncology, digestive diseases and arteriosclerosis and poverty-related diseases, including malaria. 500 scientists work at the centre, including researchers and experts on a number of scientific platforms.

It has also been responsible for donating the first surgical robot to the Hospital Clínico in Madrid, where it has performed 1095 operations, and for building and equipping a student residence at the Francisco de Vitoria University, where more than 1600 grants will have been awarded by the end of this year. It has also made donations to more than 200 charities.

In recognition for her work, Esther Koplowitz has received numerous honours, including the Grand Cross for Social Solidarity, presented by HM Queen Sofía of Spain; the Grand Cross for Civil Merit; the Grand Cross of the Civil Guard, for helping victims, the Blanquerna Prize from the Regional Government of Catalonia; the Gold Medal of Barcelona University, and she has been given the Freedom of the City by Barcelona and Valencia.