2024 AAU Humanitarian of the Year Harris Rosen Passes
12/03/2024
The legendary hotelier and philanthropist passed away at 85
Orlando, Florida (December 3) – The Amateur Athletic Union mourns the loss of Harris Rosen, an integral part of the Orlando and AAU community. The philanthropic founder of Rosen Hotels & Resorts was known around Central Florida area for supporting children through various Rosen Gives Back initiatives and the Harris Rosen Foundation.
At the 2024 AAU National Convention in Orlando, Rosen was honored by the AAU as this year’s AAU Humanitarian of the Year. His dedication to youth athletics, particularly swimming, has been part of what will forever connect him and the organization. His work in saving the Rosen YMCA Aquatic Center has helped generations of future AAU swimmers have an opportunity to pursue their passion. He also coached an AAU swim club in his earlier years.
His foundation also helped provided free preschool education for children in Tangelo Park and Parramore to give them the skills they needed entering elementary school.
“Epiphany might be too strong of a word, it was more of a voice. A feeling that ‘now is the time.’ You’ve achieved more success than you ever imagined. It’s time now to recognize that you’ve been blessed, to be thankful, and to share your good fortune with others,” Rosen once said, as quoted on the Harris Rosen Foundation website. And it aptly described him as a person and a philanthropist.
His powerful positive impact on the region and on the AAU will continue for decades to come.
At the 2024 AAU National Convention in Orlando, Rosen was honored by the AAU as this year’s AAU Humanitarian of the Year. His dedication to youth athletics, particularly swimming, has been part of what will forever connect him and the organization. His work in saving the Rosen YMCA Aquatic Center has helped generations of future AAU swimmers have an opportunity to pursue their passion. He also coached an AAU swim club in his earlier years.
His foundation also helped provided free preschool education for children in Tangelo Park and Parramore to give them the skills they needed entering elementary school.
“Epiphany might be too strong of a word, it was more of a voice. A feeling that ‘now is the time.’ You’ve achieved more success than you ever imagined. It’s time now to recognize that you’ve been blessed, to be thankful, and to share your good fortune with others,” Rosen once said, as quoted on the Harris Rosen Foundation website. And it aptly described him as a person and a philanthropist.
His powerful positive impact on the region and on the AAU will continue for decades to come.
