ACCESS has celebrated its 55th anniversary with a community dinner that honored Dr. Wael Sakr, Dean of the Wayne State University School of Medicine, as the 2026 Arab American of the Year.
The celebration on April 24 was attended by 1,500 people, the organisation said.
“ACCESS marked its 55th Anniversary with a powerful evening of reflection, recognition, and forward-looking vision, bringing together 1,500 community members, friends, and supporters, including leaders from the business, corporate, civic, and philanthropic sectors, to celebrate more than five decades of service and impact,” ACCESS said in a statement.
Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield and Dearborn’s Abdullah Hammoud were among the attendees.
Sheffield lauded ACCESS’s “extraordinary impact”, and Hammoud expressed gratitude for the organization, saying that Dearborn will always be a partner of ACCESS “every step of the way.”
ACCESS President and CEO Maha Freij reflected on the challenges of the moment, saying that the organization’s vision is grounded in resilience, community, and hope
“The challenges ahead are real, and they are significant. But so is our ability to meet them through our incredible Team ACCESS, and through our community,” Freij said at the dinner.
“Together, we will continue to serve, build, and lead – from the neighborhood to the nation.”
She also underscored ACCESS’s focus and investments in long-term solutions, highlighting ACCESS Recovery Center.
The center is described as “a first-of-its-kind facility designed to provide a full continuum of substance use disorder treatment and wraparound services under one roof”.
Every year, ACCESS highlights its work, rallies support and expresses appreciation for its staff at the annual dinner. The event also sees the award of Arab American of the Year given to a distinguished member of the community.
Sakr, this year’s honoree, who is Syrian American, is a renowned medical professional who has been the dean of one of the nation’s leading medical schools since 2022.
But ACCESS said what truly sets him apart is his character as a unifier.
“Whether in moments of celebration or in times of pressure and uncertainty – especially in today’s charged climate – Dr. Sakr carries himself with steadiness, humility, and principle,” ACCESS said.
“He approaches complex challenges with grace, modeling the kind of leadership we aspire to: calm, ethical, and deeply grounded in service.”
In 2025, ACCESS handed the Arab American of the Year award to Palestinian American community organizer Rami Nashashibi.
Founded in 1971 in Dearborn, ACCESS now operates 120 local programs in the Detroit area, including offering social services and facilitating access to resources.
It also has several national initiatives, including National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC), the Center for Arab American Philanthropy (CAAP), and the Center for Arab Narratives (CAN).
