The Red Cross is committed to helping members of the military, veterans, their families and caregivers prepare for, manage and respond to the challenges of service.

The Red Cross provides in-person support for troops around the world including:

On all military installations in the U.S.
At 37 overseas offices, including those in England, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, South Korea, Djibouti, Iraq, Kuwait, Poland and Romania.
At over 140 military medical facilities and 170 veterans care facilities worldwide.

Each year, the Red Cross provides around 510,000 services to members of the military, veterans and their families around the world. None of these services would be possible without a global network of dedicated volunteers who turn their military appreciation into action. The Red Cross encourages people interested in volunteering to sign up at redcross.org/volunteer or reach out to their local Red Cross chapter for opportunities to get started today.

Through their ‘Get To Know Us Before You Need Us’ program, the Red Cross meets with new enlistees and their families to answer questions about military family life and share how their services can help before, during and after deployment.

In times of emergency, the organization helps military families communicate with their loved ones and facilitate their return home through their Hero Care Network, which is available online, by phone, through the Red Cross mobile app or in person, 24 hours a day.

The nonprofit also offers a variety of free resiliency workshops in-person and online, to provide military members, veterans, their families and caregivers with effective tools for facing challenges and stress.

Red Cross medical and non-medical volunteers provide care, comfort and therapy items at veteran hospitals and military treatment facilities around the world.

American Red Cross Spokesman and Marine Corps Veteran Gerald Thomas will discuss how the organization supports and honors members of the military, veterans and their families during Military Appreciation Month.

Interview is courtesy: American Red Cross

#redcross #military #service #volunteers #americanredcross

The post May is Military Appreciation Month HOW THE AMERICAN RED CROSS IS RECOGNIZING & HELPING OUR COUNTRY’S MILITARY appeared first on Good News!.

1. Ace Natural is a service-focused, customer-driven natural and organic food distribution business located in New York City. Ace has a rich 20 year history providing superb service to the most discerning NYC Restaurants, caterers, food retailers and distributors. The company has a strong foothold and a passion for improving the lifestyles of New Yorkers. They were represented by their COO Alberto Gonzalez. www.Acenatural.com

2. City as Living Laboratory-Arts in City Responding to the challenges of a rapidly changing planet, Mary Miss founded CALL in 2009. CALL/City as Living Laboratory supports artists and designers in projects and programs, which engage local communities to raise awareness of the environmental risks that affect every day urban residents – concerns about the quality of the air they breathe, the threat of heat waves, flooding, storm surges, and food safety. By offering opportunities for experiential learning, discussion, and interdisciplinary collaboration, CALL provides a path for meaningful action – a means to bring about positive change. They were represented by Mary Miss and Olivia George. www.cityaslivinglab.org

3. Cornell University Sustainable group was represented by Anna Lawrence, a junior at Cornell. As the General Manager of Cornell University Sustainable Design she oversees all 11 project teams within the organization, searches for and develops new projects that align with CUSD’s mission, and communicates with current and new stakeholders. CUSD is an organization driven by passionate students who want to be the change they want to see in the world around them. Anna and Sustainable Design group has also completed an energy audit of the Smithsonian.

4. CO2logic is a pioneer in climate change and sustainability advisory. CO2logic specializes in calculating, reducing and offsetting carbon emissions and other environmental impacts. Today, more than 100 global organizations use CO2logic’s services to develop and implement their sustainability and low carbon strategies. Their main offices are in Brussels (Belgium) and New York. Co2 was represented by Arnaud Brohe www.co2logic.com/en-US

5. Foam Cycle is the first patent-pending Styrofoam collection and processing system specifically designed to be placed outdoors. This system enables municipal and county recycling drop-off centers along with colleges and universities the ability to effectively collect, densify, sell and ship the reduced foam to end user re-purpose manufactures completing a closed loop recycling process. They were represented by Lou Troiano www.foamcycle.com

6. Juice Plus – The Tower Garden by Juiceplus+ is a vertical, aeroponic growing system that grows plants with only water and nutrients and without dirt. Plants grow three times faster and produce 30% greater yields on average using fewer resources. For over 5 years they have been working with schools, community centers, restaurants and individuals. Our programs
enable kids to learn about growing, sustainability and nutrition and we bring healthy food to
underserved communities. Towers allow people to control their food source, save money and
have fun growing at home indoors or out. They were represented by Liz Saldana and Shelley
Simpson http://esaldana.towergarden.com

7. One Earth Conservation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that , inspires and emboldens the people taking a stand for themselves, One Earth achieves its mission by combining work directed outward toward nature and other beings with work directed inward toward one’s own human nature. Their outer work has proven successful in supporting people in on-the-ground parrot conservation projects in Latin America that involve endangered and threatened wild parrot populations. One Earth’s inner work has been organized into the Nurture Nature Program, which seeks to “empower the people who are saving the planet.” They were represented by Gail Koelln co-director. www.oneearthconservation.org

8. Premier Compaction Systems is a Subsidiary of Premier Facility Management. Premier designs and implements waste management programs using the most efficient equipment. Their products provide total recycling and eliminates the need for additional equipment, and labor while saving valuable interior space. Providing the right equipment encourages tenants to recycle and leaves the building with the ability to provide a more pleasing sidewalk appearance. They were represented by Bob Frustaci www.pcs-green.com

9. SBM Management Services, an environmental leader within the facilities maintenance industry for over 25 years focuses on developing empowered associates, standardized processes, management systems, and reporting tools. They protect the natural environment, and their customers’ and employees’ health. Thus, SBM supports a different approach to janitorial services offering better environmental performance, and improved worker health and safety, while retaining the same sanitation quality as traditional, more chemical-intensive methods. SBM’s green cleaning program meets LEED® certification standards and assists in waste reduction, indoor air quality improvement, and resource conservation. Brain Martin is their representative. www.sbmmanagement.com.

10. SUNation Solar Systems provides and installs solar PV Systems providing clean, sustainable energy to Residential and Commercial customers in Nassau, Suffolk and Queens. They pride themselves on providing the best performing panels and their 24/7/365 customer service and support to keep systems running at their peak. They also provide EV charging stations for electric vehicle owners and connect that to the system. They were represented by Mike Bailis www.sunationsolarsystems.com

If you would like more information about this topic or Gotham Networking or how you can be present for the awards presentation, please contact Sherry Rivera at 516 594-1400 or email at Sherryrivera1@gmail.com. In addition, please visit our website; www.gothamnetworking.com to learn more about the organization that has sponsored these awards.

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We aim to recognize initiatives that help everyday people save money and enable more comfortable environments to live and work in. This years’ winners are being recognized for their achievements in implementing various strategies to create products, buildings, and initiatives that advance the goal of greater sustainability.

1.The Queens Chamber of Commerce Energy Committee represented by Brett Swanson, manager of Committee Development of the Queens Chamber
The Committee exists to educate local business owners and residents about energy supply challenges and opportunities facing Queens and the metropolitan area while promoting sensible solutions to meet demand with local resources to accelerate regional economic growth.

2. Earth Friendly Products, represented by Nadereh Afsharmanesh, VP of Sustainability and Education. They just celebrated their 50th Anniversary. They manufacture 200 eco-friendly household and commercial cleaning products. These include laundry detergent, household cleaners, hand soaps and pet care products. They manufacture these environmentally safe products private label for many companies across the country. Of course they also have a facility that is a Platinum level Zero Waste Certified Facility, and implement many other initiatives to improve their carbon footprint.

3. Cox Printers represented by Mike Kaufman its President.
COX Printers is a full service printing and online communications company based in Linden, New Jersey. They are the experts in their field by offering alternatives to traditional marketing and print practices to promote their customers businesses. Their sustainable initiatives include: Thoughtful and careful diligence in sourcing their paper, and inks and they recycle paper themselves into other uses. They have solar arrays and wind turbines to operate their machinery. They are both a socially and environmentally responsible company.

4. Morningside Heights Housing Corporation represented by John Buscarello, a current member of Gotham and President of this Coop. The Coop consisting of 6 buildings has implemented several initiatives to make the coop more sustainable. These include state of the art LED lighting inside and out, a comprehensive recycling program including electronics, a composting project for which they earned a citation from the Mayor and installing permeable material on pathways to defer water from overwhelming the sewers. .They have saved a great deal of money and reduced their operating expenses as well.

5.Joshua Zinder Architects represented by its President Joshua Zinder
Josh is a current co-chair of GOtham GREEN® and an Architect, and LEED AP. He is totally committed to Sustainable design whether it is LEED accredited or not. He brings a unique contemporary style to every project and has completed many projects in the US and abroad.

About Gotham Networking

Gotham City Networking, Inc.® is a Business networking group that just celebrated its 20th Anniversary by its founders Fred Klein and Nancy Schess. It has over 900 members and about 45 groups in the Tristate area as well as Florida, Pennsylvania and Princeton NJ. The GOtham Green Awards® is an event produced by of one of those groups, specifically the GOtham Green® group.

www.gothamnetworking.com
Contact Sherry Rivera at 516 594-1400 for more information on Gotham Networking

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Campus Coach Lines President and Founder Bert Askwith, Honored by ABA Board of Directors
The American Bus Association Board of Directors honored longtime motorcoach owner/operator and
industry legend Bert Askwith at its spring board meeting May 2 in suburban Washington, D.C. The
presentation was made by ABA Chairman Tom JeBran to salute Askwith for nearly 85 years of
continuous service to the motorcoach industry.

In March, Bert turned 102, celebrating his birthday by going to work in Manhattan where he is President of Campus Coach Lines. Bert founded Campus Coach Lines in 1928 while he was a student at the University of Michigan, taking classmates from Ann Arbor to the east coast at a fraction of the cost of rail travel. The company was so successful that he put himself through college with the money he earned. In 1931, while the Great Depression weakened the economy; Bert moved the business to New York City where it continues operations today, 83 years later.

During his long and distinguished career, Bert has served in a variety of high-profile national and
regional industry leadership positions, including a nearly 20-year tenure on ABA’s Board of Directors.
In 2010 the Board made him an honorary lifetime member. Bert also served as the first Chairman of
the ABA Foundation Board of Governors and continues his service to the ABA Foundation as
Chairman Emeritus. Bert also served for six years as the President of the New York State Bus
Association.

Bert is also known for his generous charitable contributions. Among his favorite charities are the
United Way and his beloved University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

In typical fashion, Bert is always looking ahead, and as he accepted the award, he told his colleagues,
“Thank you for this honor, I am looking forward to working with you for many more years.” ABA Board Chairman Tom JeBran said of his longtime friendship and associate.

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“Peace Corps Week is about sharing the volunteer experience and the incredible cultural exchange that results from Peace Corps service,” Hessler-Radelet said. “I encourage both current and returned volunteers to participate in Peace Corps Week to share the world with their local communities and bring Peace Corps service to life.”

Hessler-Radelet will participate in Peace Corps Week events starting Tuesday, Feb. 25 at the University of Miami, where she will speak with students and community members about the inspiring work of Peace Corps volunteers today. She will be joined by University President Donna Shalala, who has been an active supporter of the Peace Corps since completing her service in Iran 50 years ago. On Thursday, Feb. 27, the Acting Director will deliver remarks at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on the Peace Corps in the 21^stcentury, and later that day, she will talk with students at the University of South Florida via live video conference.

New this year, Peace Corps’ Office of Third Goal and Returned Volunteer Services invited current and returned volunteers to get involved in Peace Corps Week by participating in a Video Challenge and a Classroom Challenge designed to support Peace Corps’ Third Goal of sharing other cultures with Americans. In the lead up to Peace Corps Week, current and returned volunteers have organized more than 525 classroom events to share the Peace Corps experience, engaging nearly 35,000 students across 49 states. Videos showcasing some of the most remote locations in the world were also submitted to Peace Corps’ #PCWeek2014 YouTube playlist, offering a cultural window into life abroad.

Peace Corps volunteers travel to the farthest corners of the world where they work toward sustainable change while gaining hands-on experience and developing the skills employers are looking for now more than ever. Volunteers who serve with the Peace Corps return home with a global perspective as well as cross-cultural, leadership, community development and language skills. They give back to their communities here at home and enrich the lives of those around them, helping to strengthen international ties and increase our country’s global competitiveness.

The Peace Corps has eight regional recruitment offices across the United States that work closely with prospective volunteers to ensure that all Americans who want to serve have the opportunity to do so. Find the recruitment office near you by visiting the Peace Corps website here.

Visit the Peace Corps events webpage for a full list of Peace Corps Week activities.

About the Peace Corps: As the preeminent international service organization of the United States, the Peace Corps sends Americans abroad to tackle the most pressing needs of people around the world. Peace Corps volunteers work at the grassroots level with local governments, schools, communities, small businesses and entrepreneurs to develop sustainable solutions that address challenges in education, health, economic development, agriculture, environment and youth development. When they return home, volunteers bring their knowledge and experiences – and a global outlook – back to the United States that enriches the lives of those around them. President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961 to foster a better understanding among Americans and people of other countries. Since then, more than 215,000 Americans of all ages have served in 139 countries worldwide. Visit www.peacecorps.gov to learn more.

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Genesee Valley Center Honors Exceptional Alumni at Annual Community Event

(ROCHESTER, N.Y. – May 16, 2013) Jasmine Tang ‘96, a member of the Monroe Community College and State University of New York College at Geneseo faculty, has received special recognition as an alumna of SUNY Empire State College’s School for Graduate Studies for her contributions to the field of world languages and culture.

“I am so thrilled by this honor,” said Tang. “I am very pleased that I can pass on to my students and the community the traditional and practical education provide to me by my parents, Dr. and Mrs. George Tien Fu Li and from the teachers and professors at my schools in Taiwan, England, North Africa, the University of New Mexico, Geneseo and Empire State College.”

Tang was honored at the college’s Genesee Valley Center annual community celebration event by Dean Jonathan Franz as well as students, fellow college alumni, faculty and staff and community and government leaders. The event was held yesterday evening at the Memorial Art Gallery.

“We are pleased to present to Professor Jasmine Tang the Award for Outstanding Academic Contributions to the Field of World Languages and Culture,” said Franz “Jasmine Tang has dedicated her entire professional life to education as a teacher, scholar and author on the subjects of languages and cultures. A nationally recognized and award-winning educator, she is among our most accomplished alumni and distinguished colleagues.

The citation states that Tang was selected, “for distinguishing yourself through significant contributions and leadership in the field of world languages, cultures and academia.”

About Jasmine Tang

Jasmine Tang ’96 has been a Chinese language teacher for 30 years. She recently published a textbook, “Taking off with Chinese,” for people who are completely unfamiliar with the Chinese language, characters and culture.

Comprising 24 lessons, Tang’s book introduces American students to Chinese grammar, reading comprehension and written and spoken Chinese, using situations that would occur in everyday life.

Besides language, the book weaves in information about Chinese culture, values and beliefs. Tang’s book was displayed at the college’s Genesee Valley Center Art Show in May 2012.

She is the recipient of the Award of Distinction from the Chinese Language Education and Research Center for outstanding contributions to the promotion of Chinese language education in the United States.

Tang also won the Outstanding Contribution to Chinese Language Education award from the Chinese Language Teachers Association in recognition of her lifetime of teaching.

Tang has been a member of the Geneseo faculty since 1991 and is currently a part-time lecturer of Chinese. Tang also serves as an adjunct assistant professor at Monroe Community College.

Tang graduated from the college’s School for Graduate Studies in 1996 with an M.A. in liberal arts with a concentration in Chinese education. Tang earned a psychology degree from Geneseo in 1987 and completed master’s degree courses in linguistic and applied linguistics at East China Normal University in China in 2009.

About SUNY Empire State College

SUNY Empire State College was established in 1971 to offer adult learners the opportunity to earn associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the State University of New York.

In addition to awarding credit for prior college-level learning, the college pairs each student with a faculty mentor who supports that student throughout his or her college career. Students engage in guided independent study and course work onsite, online or a combination of both, which provides the flexibility for students to learn at the time, place and pace they choose.

The college serves more than 20,000 students worldwide at more than 35 locations in New York state and online. Its 66,000 alumni are active in their communities as entrepreneurs, politicians, business professionals, artists, nonprofit agency employees, teachers, veterans and active military, union members and more. More information about the college is available here.

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The 13th Annual Nightwalk in New York to benefit Guiding Eyes for the Blind will take place October 13th at the schoolyard, Columbus Avenue and West 77nd Street.

Sign in is at 7 p.m.; the walk begins at 8 p.m.

Guiding Eyes for the Blind (GEB) is a non-profit organization that provides guide dogs and training for Blind people.  It costs GEB $45,000 to raise and train just one dog!

GEB provides their dogs at no cost to the blind person  and without any government funding.  Donations make it all possible.  Guiding Eyes for the Blind relies solely on contributions.

One hundred  percent of the donations go to Guiding Eyes for the Blind.  Of course, moral support alone cannot sustain a cause as worthy as GEB.  Be it small or large, every dollar matters.  Included is sponsor and donation information for you and your children.  You can also donate online at :  www.guidingeyes.org/nightwalk

For more information contact Bruce Stark here at Beacon Paint, 212.7887.1090, or email him:  bruce@beaconpaint.com

The post Join Bruce’s “Nightwalk in New York” to Benefit Guiding Eyes for the Blind appeared first on Good News!.

The 2009 Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize

Hunts Point Riverside Park, South Bronx

It is my desire to give the recipients of the prize the recognition they deserve,
to bring attention to their contributions to society and encourage others to follow in their path Lillian Gish

My job is to show folks theres a lot of good music in this world, and if used right,
it may help to save the planet. Pete Seeger, 2009 Gish Prize Recipient

New York, NYFolk musician and environmental activist Pete Seeger will be presented with one of the largest awards in the arts The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prizeat a special outdoor tribute on Thursday, September 3, 2009. The tribute will take place in the newly-revitalized Hunts Point Riverside Park, South Bronx, in partnership with Rocking the Boat. Seeger, who supports Rocking the Boat, will be joined by his grandson, Tao Rodriguez-Seeger and the children participating in the non-profit program which overlooks the scenic Bronx River. Seeger will receive a $200,000 legacy from silent film stars Dorothy and Lillian Gish and a silver medallion.

Seeger was selected from a pool of nominations submitted each year by The Gish Prize Selection Committee, which is composed of leaders in the arts. In her will, Lillian Gish specified that the prize should be awarded annually to a man or woman who has made an outstanding contribution to the beauty of the world and to mankinds enjoyment and understanding of life. Now in its 16th year, The Gish Prize continues to reflect the spirit of the pioneering sisters, paying tribute to artistic trailblazers. Gish Prize recipients, from Robert Redford to Arthur Miller and Frank Gehry, have shaped the cultural landscape in drama, music, dance, art, architecture, lighting design, film, and literature. (See full list of Gish Prize recipients below.) JPMorgan Chase Bank is Trustee for The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize.

One of the most influential musical and social voices of the 20th century, Seeger used his talents not only to entertain but also to unite people and support causes, from labor to the environment. The Gish sisters legacy recognizes the power of art to inform, entertain and encourage generation after generation, said Seeger.

This year, the Gish Prize ceremony will move outdoors to the site of the non-profit organization Rocking the Boat (located adjacent to Hunts Point Riverside Park) in honor of Seegers long-standing work for the environment, which began in the 1960s. A former illegal dumping ground, the sites revitalization through community action reflects Seegers grassroots approach. Today, the park, which was recently cited with the Ruby Bruner Award for Urban Excellence, is an oasis in the city, offering residents and groups like Rocking the Boat a place for learning and recreation.

Seegers Gish Prize award will benefit Rocking the Boat, a program that uses traditional wooden boatbuilding and on-water education to help young people develop into empowered and responsible adults. Rocking the Boats programs directly serve over 2,000 students and community members drawn from a range of New York City public middle schools, high schools and neighborhoods.

Biography: Pete Seeger

Earlier this year, Pete Seeger led a chorus of half a million people in a sing-a-long of This Land is Your Land on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to celebrate the inauguration of President Barack Obama. The performance was a testament to the continued power of Petes music and to his ability to reach beyond the stage. This community approach to performance is a Seeger trademark. Singing together you suddenly find out theres things you can learn from each other that you wouldnt learn from arguments, that you might not learn any other way, said Pete in a 2005 interview on National Public Radio.

Born in 1919 into a family of musicians, Pete dropped out of Harvard at 19 to bicycle across New England and hop freight trains across the country with Woody Guthrie. Through his father, ethnomusicologist Dr. Charles Seeger, he landed a life-changing job following noted folk archivist Alan Lomax on trips through the South collecting and transcribing songs for the Library of Congress. The experience opened his eyes to the lost gems of American traditional music, which has formed the basis of his work throughout his six-decade career. Pete has not only preserved folk songs and stories through his numerous recordings, he has also invigorated the genre with hundreds of original compositions, including “If I Had a Hammer,” “Turn, Turn, Turn,” and the folk standard “Where Have All the Flowers Gone.” As a leading voice of folk music, Pete was an inspiration to countless artists who followed.

For Pete, music has always been a grassroots effort, a way to unite and inspire people for a common cause. He brought protest songs with pro-labor and antiwar themes to the people at picket lines, schools, colleges, union halls, clubs, concert halls and festivals. He played first with The Almanac Singers, which included Woody Guthrie, Sis Cunningham and Lee Hays, and then with the legendary folk band The Weavers, which Pete formed after World War II when he got out of the army.

During the McCarthy-era communist witch-hunts, The Weavers were blacklisted and barred from major recording contracts, concerts and television. Pete went underground releasing numerous albums on independent labels. In the 1960s, Pete and his wife, Toshi, marched in Selma, Alabama, and participated in Civil Rights workshops at the Highlander Institute. It was there that Dr. Martin Luther King first heard We Shall Overcome. Barred from performing on television and radio, Pete sang at summer camps and private colleges across the USA and Canada. Pete became a vocal opponent to the Vietnam War, and his protest songs found a new, younger audience.

Around this time, Pete began turning his attention to the environment, long before it became fashionable. In 1969, he co-founded the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, an environmental organization that champions the restoration and preservation of the Hudson River and its estuaries through grassroots activism, music and education. Clearwater also refers to the 106-foot-long sloop Pete helped build. Today, the sloop still plies the Hudson and the Classroom of the Waves program continues to advocate for the environment and the community of the Hudson Valley by taking over 20,000 school children a year out on the river.

On stage or off, Pete continues to be heard. Perhaps poet Carl Sandburg described it best when he called Pete Americas tuning fork. After all these years, Pete continues to resonate with the best part of America, our soul.

The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize

The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize is one of the largest awards in the arts. Nominations are welcomed from the arts community and may be submitted through The Gish Prize website, www.gishprize.com. The Gish Prize committee, a group that changes every year, considers all nominations and chooses each recipient. Composed of leaders in the arts community, the committee for this year includes Cora Cahan, president, The New 42nd Street; Graciela Daniele, choreographer; Michael Kaiser, president, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; Terrence McNally, playwright; and, Lowery Sims, curator, Museum of Arts and Design.

The Gish Prize was established in 1994 by The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize Trust. Stars of the silent screen, Dorothy and Lillian Gish brought their unique sensibilities and talents to early film, shaping the development of that art form. The sisters made their motion picture debut together in D.W. Griffiths An Unseen Enemy in 1912 and went on to appear in over 100 films each. They also received accolades for their work on stage and in television. Lillian Gish died in 1993 and Dorothy Gish died in 1968. Their legacy lives on today in The Gish Prize, and in their desire to give the recipients of the prize the recognition they deserve, to bring attention to their contributions to society and encourage others to follow in their path.

The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize Recipients

2009 Pete Seeger, folk musician, singer and social activist
2008 Robert Redford, filmmaker, activist, Sundance Institute founder
2007 Laurie Anderson, multimedia performance artist
2006 Shirin Neshat, visual artist and filmmaker
2005 Peter Sellars, theatre and opera director
2004 Ornette Coleman, jazz innovator
2003 Bill T. Jones, dancer/choreographer
2002 Lloyd Richards, theatre director
2001 Jennifer Tipton, lighting designer
2000 Merce Cunningham, dancer/choreographer
1999 Arthur Miller, author/playwright
1998 Isabel Allende, author
1997 Bob Dylan, singer/songwriter
1996 Robert Wilson, artist/director
1995 Ingmar Bergman, film director
1994 Frank Gehry, architect

The post Musician/Activist Pete Seeger, A Voice Of The People and The Environment (part 1-3) appeared first on Good News!.

The 2009 Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize

Hunts Point Riverside Park, South Bronx

It is my desire to give the recipients of the prize the recognition they deserve,
to bring attention to their contributions to society and encourage others to follow in their path Lillian Gish

My job is to show folks there’s a lot of good music in this world, and if used right,
it may help to save the planet. Pete Seeger, 2009 Gish Prize Recipient

New York, NY Folk musician and environmental activist Pete Seeger will be presented with one of the largest awards in the arts The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize at a special outdoor tribute on Thursday, September 3, 2009. The tribute will take place in the newly-revitalized Hunts Point Riverside Park, South Bronx, in partnership with Rocking the Boat. Seeger, who supports Rocking the Boat, will be joined by his grandson, Tao Rodriguez-Seeger and the children participating in the non-profit program which overlooks the scenic Bronx River. Seeger will receive a $200,000 legacy from silent film stars Dorothy and Lillian Gish and a silver medallion.

Seeger was selected from a pool of nominations submitted each year by The Gish Prize Selection Committee, which is composed of leaders in the arts. In her will, Lillian Gish specified that the prize should be awarded annually to a man or woman who has made an outstanding contribution to the beauty of the world and to mankind’s enjoyment and understanding of life. Now in its 16th year, The Gish Prize continues to reflect the spirit of the pioneering sisters, paying tribute to artistic trailblazers. Gish Prize recipients, from Robert Redford to Arthur Miller and Frank Gehry, have shaped the cultural landscape in drama, music, dance, art, architecture, lighting design, film, and literature. (See full list of Gish Prize recipients below.) JP Morgan Chase Bank is Trustee for The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize.

One of the most influential musical and social voices of the 20th century, Seeger used his talents not only to entertain but also to unite people and support causes, from labor to the environment. The Gish sisters legacy recognizes the power of art to inform, entertain and encourage generation after generation, said Seeger.

This year, the Gish Prize ceremony will move outdoors to the site of the non-profit organization Rocking the Boat (located adjacent to Hunts Point Riverside Park) in honor of Seeger’s long-standing work for the environment, which began in the 1960s. A former illegal dumping ground, the sites revitalization through community action reflects Seegers grassroots approach. Today, the park, which was recently cited with the Ruby Bruner Award for Urban Excellence, is an oasis in the city, offering residents and groups like Rocking the Boat a place for learning and recreation.

Seeger’s Gish Prize award will benefit Rocking the Boat, a program that uses traditional wooden boat building and on-water education to help young people develop into empowered and responsible adults. Rocking the Boats programs directly serve over 2,000 students and community members drawn from a range of New York City public middle schools, high schools and neighborhoods.

Biography: Pete Seeger

Earlier this year, Pete Seeger led a chorus of half a million people in a sing-a-long of This Land is Your Land on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to celebrate the inauguration of President Barack Obama. The performance was a testament to the continued power of Pete’s music and to his ability to reach beyond the stage. This community approach to performance is a Seeger trademark. Singing together you suddenly find out theres things you can learn from each other that you wouldnt learn from arguments, that you might not learn any other way, said Pete in a 2005 interview on National Public Radio.

Born in 1919 into a family of musicians, Pete dropped out of Harvard at 19 to bicycle across New England and hop freight trains across the country with Woody Guthrie. Through his father, ethnomusicologist Dr. Charles Seeger, he landed a life-changing job following noted folk archivist Alan Lomax on trips through the South collecting and transcribing songs for the Library of Congress. The experience opened his eyes to the lost gems of American traditional music, which has formed the basis of his work throughout his six-decade career. Pete has not only preserved folk songs and stories through his numerous recordings, he has also invigorated the genre with hundreds of original compositions, including “If I Had a Hammer,” “Turn, Turn, Turn,” and the folk standard “Where Have All the Flowers Gone.” As a leading voice of folk music, Pete was an inspiration to countless artists who followed.

For Pete, music has always been a grassroots effort, a way to unite and inspire people for a common cause. He brought protest songs with pro-labor and antiwar themes to the people at picket lines, schools, colleges, union halls, clubs, concert halls and festivals. He played first with The Almanac Singers, which included Woody Guthrie, Sis Cunningham and Lee Hays, and then with the legendary folk band The Weavers, which Pete formed after World War II when he got out of the army.

During the McCarthy-era communist witch-hunts, The Weavers were blacklisted and barred from major recording contracts, concerts and television. Pete went underground releasing numerous albums on independent labels. In the 1960s, Pete and his wife, Toshi, marched in Selma, Alabama, and participated in Civil Rights workshops at the Highlander Institute. It was there that Dr. Martin Luther King first heard We Shall Overcome. Barred from performing on television and radio, Pete sang at summer camps and private colleges across the USA and Canada. Pete became a vocal opponent to the Vietnam War, and his protest songs found a new, younger audience.

Around this time, Pete began turning his attention to the environment, long before it became fashionable. In 1969, he co-founded the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, an environmental organization that champions the restoration and preservation of the Hudson River and its estuaries through grassroots activism, music and education. Clearwater also refers to the 106-foot-long sloop Pete helped build. Today, the sloop still plies the Hudson and the Classroom of the Waves program continues to advocate for the environment and the community of the Hudson Valley by taking over 20,000 school children a year out on the river.

On stage or off, Pete continues to be heard. Perhaps poet Carl Sandburg described it best when he called Pete Americas tuning fork. After all these years, Pete continues to resonate with the best part of America, our soul.

The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize

The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize is one of the largest awards in the arts. Nominations are welcomed from the arts community and may be submitted through The Gish Prize website, www.gishprize.com. The Gish Prize committee, a group that changes every year, considers all nominations and chooses each recipient. Composed of leaders in the arts community, the committee for this year includes Cora Cahan, president, The New 42nd Street; Graciela Daniele, choreographer; Michael Kaiser, president, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; Terrence McNally, playwright; and, Lowery Sims, curator, Museum of Arts and Design.

The Gish Prize was established in 1994 by The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize Trust. Stars of the silent screen, Dorothy and Lillian Gish brought their unique sensibilities and talents to early film, shaping the development of that art form. The sisters made their motion picture debut together in D.W. Griffiths An Unseen Enemy in 1912 and went on to appear in over 100 films each. They also received accolades for their work on stage and in television. Lillian Gish died in 1993 and Dorothy Gish died in 1968. Their legacy lives on today in The Gish Prize, and in their desire to give the recipients of the prize the recognition they deserve, to bring attention to their contributions to society and encourage others to follow in their path.

The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize Recipients

2009 Pete Seeger, folk musician, singer and social activist
2008 Robert Redford, filmmaker, activist, Sundance Institute founder
2007 Laurie Anderson, multimedia performance artist
2006 Shirin Neshat, visual artist and filmmaker
2005 Peter Sellars, theatre and opera director
2004 Ornette Coleman, jazz innovator
2003 Bill T. Jones, dancer/choreographer
2002 Lloyd Richards, theatre director
2001 Jennifer Tipton, lighting designer
2000 Merce Cunningham, dancer/choreographer
1999 Arthur Miller, author/playwright
1998 Isabel Allende, author
1997 Bob Dylan, singer/songwriter
1996 Robert Wilson, artist/director
1995 Ingmar Bergman, film director
1994 Frank Gehry, architect

The post Musician/Activist Pete Seeger, A Voice Of The People and The Environment (part 2) appeared first on Good News!.

The 2009 Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize

Hunts Point Riverside Park, South Bronx

It is my desire to give the recipients of the prize the recognition they deserve,
to bring attention to their contributions to society and encourage others to follow in their path Lillian Gish

My job is to show folks theres a lot of good music in this world, and if used right,
it may help to save the planet. Pete Seeger, 2009 Gish Prize Recipient

New York, NYFolk musician and environmental activist Pete Seeger will be presented with one of the largest awards in the arts The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prizeat a special outdoor tribute on Thursday, September 3, 2009. The tribute will take place in the newly-revitalized Hunts Point Riverside Park, South Bronx, in partnership with Rocking the Boat. Seeger, who supports Rocking the Boat, will be joined by his grandson, Tao Rodriguez-Seeger and the children participating in the non-profit program which overlooks the scenic Bronx River. Seeger will receive a $200,000 legacy from silent film stars Dorothy and Lillian Gish and a silver medallion.

Seeger was selected from a pool of nominations submitted each year by The Gish Prize Selection Committee, which is composed of leaders in the arts. In her will, Lillian Gish specified that the prize should be awarded annually to a man or woman who has made an outstanding contribution to the beauty of the world and to mankinds enjoyment and understanding of life. Now in its 16th year, The Gish Prize continues to reflect the spirit of the pioneering sisters, paying tribute to artistic trailblazers. Gish Prize recipients, from Robert Redford to Arthur Miller and Frank Gehry, have shaped the cultural landscape in drama, music, dance, art, architecture, lighting design, film, and literature. (See full list of Gish Prize recipients below.) JPMorgan Chase Bank is Trustee for The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize.

One of the most influential musical and social voices of the 20th century, Seeger used his talents not only to entertain but also to unite people and support causes, from labor to the environment. The Gish sisters legacy recognizes the power of art to inform, entertain and encourage generation after generation, said Seeger.

This year, the Gish Prize ceremony will move outdoors to the site of the non-profit organization Rocking the Boat (located adjacent to Hunts Point Riverside Park) in honor of Seegers long-standing work for the environment, which began in the 1960s. A former illegal dumping ground, the sites revitalization through community action reflects Seegers grassroots approach. Today, the park, which was recently cited with the Ruby Bruner Award for Urban Excellence, is an oasis in the city, offering residents and groups like Rocking the Boat a place for learning and recreation.

Seegers Gish Prize award will benefit Rocking the Boat, a program that uses traditional wooden boatbuilding and on-water education to help young people develop into empowered and responsible adults. Rocking the Boats programs directly serve over 2,000 students and community members drawn from a range of New York City public middle schools, high schools and neighborhoods.

Biography: Pete Seeger

Earlier this year, Pete Seeger led a chorus of half a million people in a sing-a-long of This Land is Your Land on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to celebrate the inauguration of President Barack Obama. The performance was a testament to the continued power of Petes music and to his ability to reach beyond the stage. This community approach to performance is a Seeger trademark. Singing together you suddenly find out theres things you can learn from each other that you wouldnt learn from arguments, that you might not learn any other way, said Pete in a 2005 interview on National Public Radio.

Born in 1919 into a family of musicians, Pete dropped out of Harvard at 19 to bicycle across New England and hop freight trains across the country with Woody Guthrie. Through his father, ethnomusicologist Dr. Charles Seeger, he landed a life-changing job following noted folk archivist Alan Lomax on trips through the South collecting and transcribing songs for the Library of Congress. The experience opened his eyes to the lost gems of American traditional music, which has formed the basis of his work throughout his six-decade career. Pete has not only preserved folk songs and stories through his numerous recordings, he has also invigorated the genre with hundreds of original compositions, including “If I Had a Hammer,” “Turn, Turn, Turn,” and the folk standard “Where Have All the Flowers Gone.” As a leading voice of folk music, Pete was an inspiration to countless artists who followed.

For Pete, music has always been a grassroots effort, a way to unite and inspire people for a common cause. He brought protest songs with pro-labor and antiwar themes to the people at picket lines, schools, colleges, union halls, clubs, concert halls and festivals. He played first with The Almanac Singers, which included Woody Guthrie, Sis Cunningham and Lee Hays, and then with the legendary folk band The Weavers, which Pete formed after World War II when he got out of the army.

During the McCarthy-era communist witch-hunts, The Weavers were blacklisted and barred from major recording contracts, concerts and television. Pete went underground releasing numerous albums on independent labels. In the 1960s, Pete and his wife, Toshi, marched in Selma, Alabama, and participated in Civil Rights workshops at the Highlander Institute. It was there that Dr. Martin Luther King first heard We Shall Overcome. Barred from performing on television and radio, Pete sang at summer camps and private colleges across the USA and Canada. Pete became a vocal opponent to the Vietnam War, and his protest songs found a new, younger audience.

Around this time, Pete began turning his attention to the environment, long before it became fashionable. In 1969, he co-founded the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, an environmental organization that champions the restoration and preservation of the Hudson River and its estuaries through grassroots activism, music and education. Clearwater also refers to the 106-foot-long sloop Pete helped build. Today, the sloop still plies the Hudson and the Classroom of the Waves program continues to advocate for the environment and the community of the Hudson Valley by taking over 20,000 school children a year out on the river.

On stage or off, Pete continues to be heard. Perhaps poet Carl Sandburg described it best when he called Pete Americas tuning fork. After all these years, Pete continues to resonate with the best part of America, our soul.

The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize

The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize is one of the largest awards in the arts. Nominations are welcomed from the arts community and may be submitted through The Gish Prize website, www.gishprize.com. The Gish Prize committee, a group that changes every year, considers all nominations and chooses each recipient. Composed of leaders in the arts community, the committee for this year includes Cora Cahan, president, The New 42nd Street; Graciela Daniele, choreographer; Michael Kaiser, president, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; Terrence McNally, playwright; and, Lowery Sims, curator, Museum of Arts and Design.

The Gish Prize was established in 1994 by The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize Trust. Stars of the silent screen, Dorothy and Lillian Gish brought their unique sensibilities and talents to early film, shaping the development of that art form. The sisters made their motion picture debut together in D.W. Griffiths An Unseen Enemy in 1912 and went on to appear in over 100 films each. They also received accolades for their work on stage and in television. Lillian Gish died in 1993 and Dorothy Gish died in 1968. Their legacy lives on today in The Gish Prize, and in their desire to give the recipients of the prize the recognition they deserve, to bring attention to their contributions to society and encourage others to follow in their path.

The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize Recipients

2009 Pete Seeger, folk musician, singer and social activist
2008 Robert Redford, filmmaker, activist, Sundance Institute founder
2007 Laurie Anderson, multimedia performance artist
2006 Shirin Neshat, visual artist and filmmaker
2005 Peter Sellars, theatre and opera director
2004 Ornette Coleman, jazz innovator
2003 Bill T. Jones, dancer/choreographer
2002 Lloyd Richards, theatre director
2001 Jennifer Tipton, lighting designer
2000 Merce Cunningham, dancer/choreographer
1999 Arthur Miller, author/playwright
1998 Isabel Allende, author
1997 Bob Dylan, singer/songwriter
1996 Robert Wilson, artist/director
1995 Ingmar Bergman, film director
1994 Frank Gehry, architect

The post Musician/Activist Pete Seeger, A Voice Of The People and The Environment (part 3) appeared first on Good News!.