Former President Joe Biden received the first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award from the Edward M. Kennedy Institute in Boston on Sunday, calling it “one of the most meaningful honors” of his life. The event marked his first public appearance since completing cancer treatment a week earlier.br The award was part of the Institute’s 10th anniversary celebration, recognizing Biden’s long career in public service—from his 1972 Senate election to his time as vice president and later as the 46th president. Victoria Kennedy, widow of Senator Edward “Teddy” Kennedy, presented the award.br “This means so much to me,” Biden said. “To receive an award honoring my friend Teddy Kennedy, who stood by me through every major moment of my political life.” He recalled Kennedy’s support after the deaths of his first wife, Neilia, and daughter, Naomi, saying, “I was ready to give up my Senate seat, but Teddy wouldn’t let me.”br Biden praised Kennedy’s belief in “the fundamental goodness of the American people” and “the power of democracy,” warning that both are under threat. “Our democracy is at stake,” he said. “This is no time to give up—it’s time to get up.”br He also commended late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert for defending free speech and lauded the Kennedy Institute for teaching young people to protect democratic values.br “Whatever my legacy may be, I hope it’s said that I believed in democracy and knew it was worth fighting for,” he said, ending his remarks by urging Americans to “fight like Teddy would fight.”br Former Boston Mayor and U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh and Admiral Lisa Franchetti also received leadership awards. Walsh thanked the Kennedy family and reflected on his time as mayor, saying he worked across party lines “to move the city forward together.