A release from the institute on Church Avenue, Brooklyn stated that just before attending the Awards Dinner, Prime Minister Manning met and held discussions with New York Governor, George Pataki. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister of the Bahamas, Cynthia Pratt; GID President Rickford Burke, General Secretary Hyacinth Joseph and New York City Council member, Dr Kendall Stewart. The Governor's delegation included Chairman of the Empire State Development Corporation and former US Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago, Charles Gargano and Advisor to the Governor, Una Clarke.

Accepting the award, Manning congratulated the institute for its efforts to promote democracy in the region and for establishing the prize. He said further that he accepted the award on behalf of all the people of Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean region.

At the commencement of the awards presentation, Barbadian Consul General Jessica Odle accepted the Crystal Public Health Award on behalf of Dr George Alleyne, Chancellor of the University of the West Indies and former Director General of PAHO, who is currently in Jamaica. New York City Council member Yvette Clarke copped the Crystal Leadership Award for 2003. Other honorees, the release added, were former Guyana Minister of Health and Vascular Surgeon, Dr Noel Blackman, Dr Stephen Carryl and the Overseas Medical Assistance Team (OMAT) Dental Surgeon, Dr Joseph Radix, Educator Dr Walter Kyte, Businessman Charles Farinha and CITIBANK Vice President, Patricia Jordan Langford.