Heroes honored at the Freedom Awards Gala
Taj Rowland
Ray Beckham
Gabe Adams
Adam Steed
Family, freedom, God and country — those are the traditional American values that the Freedom Awards seek to highlight. This year, the four recipients — Taj Khyber Rowland, Dr. Raymond E. Beckham, Adam Paul Steed, and Gabe Adams — all embody those ideals in their own, unique ways.
“I think the stories this year are particularly tender,” said Vicki Garbutt, chair of the Freedom Awards Gala. “They’re about the power of love and family and courage. I think all of the stories have that emotional connection, and that’s what makes that sense of freedom really come alive.”
Garbutt has been helping with the gala for more than a decade, and she’s seen the gamut of recipients come through, from four-star generals and Supreme Court Justices, to refugees seeking respite and garbage men who pulled American flags from dumpsters to dispose of them properly. The awards, she said, are important, to remind people of the freedoms they have and what they can do to preserve them.
“I want people to take away the feeling that they don’t need to be in a powerful position to make a difference — that even in their own individual circumstances they can do things that can influence people around them and improve their community.”
Recipients are nominated from all different areas — some names are sent in from the community, others are gathered from the news, some have been involved with Provo for decades — and the names are all evaluated by the Freedom Awards committee, who vet the nominees each year, determining which individuals they feel best represent the ideals the award is meant to represent.
This year, the four recipients come from varied circumstances, but each has risen to their challenges and worked to not only improve their own lives, but to help their communities as well.
“I think one of the sweetest experiences is hearing these recipients say they didn’t do anything special,” said Garbutt. “It’s just the humility — it didn’t occur to them that they were doing something special, and yet it can change people’s lives.”
Tal Khyber Rowland
Born Chellamuthu, in India, Taj Khyber Rowland did not have a typical childhood. Kidnapped as a young boy, Rowland was sold to a Christian orphanage and adopted by Fred and Linda Rowland, of Orem.
With the help of his parents, family, and friends, Rowland searched for his lost home, recalling details throughout his life, and drawing a map of what he could remember — never giving up the idea that he would someday find it. It wasn’t until he returned to India with his wife, Priya, that they were able to find the village where he had been born.
In the 20 years since Rowland reconnected with his biological family, he has not only worked to help them improve their circumstances, but started TAPRISH with his wife, a nonprofit organization that provides educational and income opportunities for others. His book, “The Orphan Keeper,” details his story and the work he’s done to help those in need.
Dr. Raymond Beckham
Dr. Raymond Beckham has been a key player in the Provo community almost as long as he’s been a resident. He arrived in the city on a Greyhound bus after his military service during World War II to attend Brigham Young University. During his first year, he became the advertising manager at Taylor’s Department Store — which was Provo’s largest retailer — and became an active member of the Provo Chamber of Commerce, making connections he still maintains.
After graduation, Dr. Beckham accepted a position at the university, working there in different capacities. He became involved with local government, serving as chairman of the Provo Economic Development Committee, the Downtown Alliance, and heading the Mayor’s Downtown Beautification Committee, among others.
He resides in Utah, and remains a bastion in the community, bringing with him 70 years of experience and connections that have helped grow the city.
Adam Paul Steed
It was September 2015 and Adam Steed had just returned home from weeks in Greece, where he’d been providing medical support for refugees fleeing the violence and war that had torn apart their home country of Syria.
He was contacted urgently by a friend he had made while working there, a friend who had smuggled footage of a Syrian prison that showed the violent, inhumane treatment of the political prisoners who were being kept there. His friend asked him to do something with it, to make it known.
Steed turned to social media, sharing the footage, which made its way to The New York Times and the UK’s The Independent.
With the footage revealed on the world stage, the Bashar al-Assad’s forces relented and the political prisoners were freed, sparing hundreds of lives in a bloody conflict — lives that Steed saved by passing on a message.
Gabe Adams
Gabe Adams was born without limbs in a Brazilian hospital. Adopted by Janelle and Ron Adams, he was brought to Utah, where he joined their family and was raised in a way that nurtured his fortitude and determination.
At the age of three, Adams was determined to walk, telling his mother he no longer wanted to roll. After two years of strengthening and balance work, he was able to move upright. His determination continued, and as a teenager, he spent his time alone learning how to dance, further defying expectations.
In his junior year of high school, Adams joined the Davis High dance team, and one of their videos with him reached almost a million views online. After his family relocated to St. George, he continued dancing and was elected a senior class officer.
Adams works hard as a motivational speaker, helping others to do more and do better with what they have, and to overcome whatever challenges they might face.