Newspaper Page Text
The Savannah Tribune • Wednesday, November 19, 2008 - 3
SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY NEWS
Gulfstream Employees
make Million-Dollar
Pledge to United Way
Savannah Music Festival
Announces Most
Artistically Diverse
Lineup to Date
Gulfstream employees
give big to the United Way of
the Coastal Empire! For the
first time, Gulfstream
employees' annual pledges to
the United Way fundraising
campaign have exceeded $1
million. This year's total
pledge is $1,044,601, a 12
percent increase over last
year's record total of
$932,206.
“During these uncertain
economic times, our employ
ees companywide recog
nized that their community
needs their financial support
now more than ever,” said
Joe Lombardo, Gulfstream
president. “Despite concerns
about energy costs, the avail
ability of credit and the
declining value of the stock
market, our employees once
again demonstrated tremen
dous generosity that will
help others.”
Gulfstream does not
pressure its employees to
contribute to the United
Way; instead, the company
communicates extensively
about the significance of
supporting the community
through the United Way.
This is the fifth consecutive
year that Gulfstream
Preparations are under
way as Old Savannah City
Mission gears up for its sig
nature event, the Eleventh
Annual Day of Great
Thanksgiving. As anticipa
tion grows city-wide and
beyond, the big day is sched
uled for November 22nd in
Forsyth Park.
For the third consecu
tive year, Wiley McCrary,
owner of Wiley’s
Championship BBQ and
winner of multi-state
awards, will lead teams of
volunteers in preparation of
250
turkeys.
Last year, more than
500 volunteers descended on
the park to serve 3,452
meals. Many of the volun
teers include community
leaders and local politicians
who enjoy serving up the
special meals to whom the
mission calls “friends and
neighbors.”
Volunteers are essential
employees have pledged to
the United Way. Since 2003,
Gulfstream's U.S.-based
work force has grown by 49
percent. During the same
period, employee pledges to
the United Way have
increased by 108 percent.
The company's total contri
bution to the United Way
consists of the employee
pledges and a corporate com
mitment. The corporate
commitment will be
announced next week.
“The United Way of the
Coastal Empire truly appre
ciates the overwhelming
generosity of Gulfstream
employees,” said Gregg
Schroeder, president and
CEO of United Way of the
Coastal Empire. This is a
record-setting employee gift
and comes at a time when the
community deeply needs this
support.”
The 2008 United Way
fundraising campaign goal is
$8,288,888, up from the $8
million goal of last year. To
date, 78 percent of goal has
been raised. United Way
officially kicked-off its com
munity fundraising cam
paign on September 10th and
will end on November 21st.
to the Mission,s year-round
operations, however, the Day
of Great Thanksgiving
makes an emphatic state
ment for the vital role played
by volunteers.
“This event occasions
an opportunity to bring unity
to the community,” says
Reverend Jim Lewis,
Executive Director of Old
Savannah City Mission.
“People who live paral
lel lives throughout the year
meet face to face and share a
meal. The Mission believes
healing of our community
can only come through rela
tionships. Homeless, inner-
city, poor and marginalized
people intermingle with the
suburban, and more affluent
members of society.”
Wiley McCrary aka
“The General” and his wife,
Janet will organize and coor
dinate the participation of
many of Savannah’s finest
See City Mission, page 8
The Savannah Music
Festival (SMF) announces
its most artistically diverse
lineup to date for the
upcoming 2009 festival,
including several commis
sioned works and a wealth
of original productions
showcasing a wide variety
of American and interna
tional musical traditions.
Committed to enhancing the
cultural landscape of
Savannah, SMF programs
combine elegance and soul
in a way that mirrors the his
tory and culture of the
remarkable city. The unique
The City of Savannah
will offer free parking to the
general public at the brand
new Whitaker Street Garage
through the end of
November.
The free parking will
be on a first-come, first-
served basis. It is the second
stage of the facility's "soft
opening," which began in
late October for monthly
card holders. The official
opening of the garage is
scheduled for the first week
of December.
The Whitaker Street
Garage is a state-of-the-art
facility that offers more than
A unique training pro
gram spearheaded by
Savannah-Chatham Metro
Police to help officers avoid
putting themselves in danger
ous situations received
recognition from the
International Association of
Chiefs of Police at a ceremo
ny on Friday in San Diego,
California.
The “Officer Created
Jeopardy” program was cre
ated in association with com
munity groups across
Chatham County, including
the NAACP and faith organi
zations, to help officers rec
ognize dangerous situations
musical arts event is one of
the highlights of springtime
on the southeastern U.S.
coast and a distinctive desti
nation for cultural travelers.
The 2009 festival takes
place between March 19 and
April 5 in historic down
town Savannah and features
more than 100 musical per
formances in intimate set
tings. Tickets go on sale at 9
am EST on November 13
and are available online at
www.savannahmusicfesti-
val.org <http://www.savan-
nahmusicfestival.org/> or
by phone at 912-525-5050.
1,000 spaces of under
ground parking — the City's
first such structure. It is the
cornerstone of the redevel
opment of the Ellis Square
area — a public-private part
nership that is adding retail,
housing units, a hotel and a
restored Ellis Square — one
of Gen. James Oglethorpe's
original six squares.
The entrance to the
Whitaker Street Garage is
located on Whitaker Street,
just south of Bay Street.
For more information,
contact Parking and
Mobility Director Sean
Brandon at 651-4291.
and how to avoid them to
preserve both their safety and
the safety of citizens.
The department
received a Certificate of
Recognition for the program.
Chief Erik Blake of the Oak
Bluffs Police Department and
Chair of the IACP Civil
Rights Committee said in his
letter to Sgt. Dan Flood who
developed a large part of the
program, “Efforts such as
these illustrate to the public
and your peers that members
of the law enforcement com
munity are among the
nation’s most visible and
See SCMPD, page 8
City Mission Gears Up
for Great Thanksgiving
Free parking at
Whitaker Street
SCMPD recognized by
IACP Civil Rights
Committee
National Council of
Negro Women to
Celebrate Youth
“Pride of Savannah:
Our Youth” is this year's
theme for the National
Council of Negro Women's
annual community event.
Please join us Saturday,
November 22nd at the
Economic Opportunity
Authority, 618 W. Anderson
Street at 5:30 PM. The youth
celebration will begin fol
lowing an opening reception.
We hope to see everyone
from New members to Life
members as we allow our
young people to shine.
Tickets are available and can
be purchased from any
NCNW member, or by call
ing President Betty Lasseter
at (912) 920-9691.
The cost is $25.00 for
adults and $5.00 for children
12 and under. We are accept
ing new members for the
adult and youth sections of
this great and historic organ-
Mary McLeod Bethune
ization. Applications will be
available following our
youth celebration. Thank you
for your continued support of
the National Council of
Negro Women. “Leave No
One Behind.”
Catalytic Converter
Thefts On The Rise
Metro Police are ask
ing the public to be aware
that thieves have been steal
ing the catalytic converter
from vehicles in our area.
Over the past couple of
weeks, there has been at
least a dozen reported stolen
in Savannah and about as
many in the Garden City
area. Police believe some of
these catalytic converters
are being sold at local area
recycling yards and contain
a very small amount of
desirable metals. Police
investigators are currently
working some very credible
leads. Thieves have been
targeting larger vehicles
such as trucks and vans.
Police advise the public to
park your vehicle in well lit
areas or park them in a
garage to reduce the chances
of your vehicle becoming a
target and please report sus
picious activity.
Broughton Street gets a
Holiday Boost from the
Community
The Savannah
Development and Renewal
Authority (SDRA) is organiz
ing community volunteers to
decorate the lampposts along
Broughton Street with red
holiday bows. Volunteers will
meet on Saturday, November
22nd, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
to decorate the lampposts that
are located between
Montgomery Street and
Lincoln Street. Participants
will meet at 220 West
Broughton Street at 10:00.
Over 40 participants
from local businesses, church
es, and sororities, and youth
groups have already volun
teered to participate in this
year’s event.
To volunteer, please
contact Randall Toussaint at
(912) 651-6973. Thank you
in advance for your efforts to
support Greater Downtown
Savannah!
For more information,
please contact Randall
Toussaint of the Savannah
Development & Renewal
Authority at (912) 651-6973
or via email Randalltous-
saint@sdra.net.
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