Real dedication doesn't care about violent storms, unyielding traffic or bone deep muscle fatigue.

Even though they make ugly sneakers these days, Nike has it right: Just Do It ®.

U.S. Army Colonel Kandace Daffin, 2nd Freedom Brigade Army ROTC Cadet Command commander, relinquishes command during a change of command ceremony at Joint base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. on 23 June, 2023. The U.S. Army Cadet Command partners with universities to recruit, educate, develop, and inspire Senior ROTC Cadets to commission officers of character for the Total Army; and partners with high schools to conduct JROTC to develop citizens of character for a lifetime of commitment and service to the nation.

Greater Manchester Police’s Chief Constable Sir Peter Fahy has presented his Commendation and the Wigan Metropolitan Borough Trophy to PC Andy Wright for his personal commitment, dedication and professionalism in creating and developing the “Nowt2Do?” Youth project in Wigan. The multi award winning project has helped children in the community to develop new skills and increase their self-esteem. Constable Wright’s outstanding work has helped to reduce antisocial behaviour in the area.

Having taken a survey after hearing the local kids whine, “We’ve nowt to do”, PC Andy Wright from the Atherton Neighbourhood Team created and developed the “Nowt2Do?” project. It was run as a 10-week pilot but such was the demand and enthusiasm of the young people, the project is now in its fifth year. This scheme provides positive activities for young people, with the aim to bring out the best in them. Young people have attended these activities over 20,000 times since the project began and they have nearly reached their target of raising £100,000 for our communities.

Andy wanted all young people to get involved so all events are free and are based at a variety of locations. He encourages the kids to think about what affects them and develop ideas to express their feelings. They have developed a drama about knife crime, a film about the project and are now on Facebook and Twitter and have their own website.

Both Andy’s family and a growing number of supporters have come on board, who are now called the Nowty Mums. At all stages, Andy has made sure that the project is firmly linked with GMP and its priority to reducing antisocial behaviour and this has reduced by 25%. Local schools and youth workers have seen improvements in troubled pupils and increases in self-esteem. The project has been awarded the London 2012 Inspire Mark, the Best Young Persons Project at the Wigan’s Cultural Partnership awards and a national award from the Learning Exchange Awards. Andy was awarded the Chief Constable’s Excellence Award for Citizen Focus for developing this outstanding community project. Its success is down to his own personal commitment as he does most of the work in his own time. The project continues to grow from strength to strength and is reaching across the world. This is not just congratulations it is a big thank you from all of us and, most importantly, from the community of Wigan

The Wigan Metropolitan Borough Trophy is a Miner's Lamp that was presented to the Chief Constable by the Mayor of Wigan at the official launch of the Wigan M.B.C. Central Watch Station in December 1991. The Chief Constable presents this award to the officer who, during the preceding 12 months has contributed most through personal effort both on and off duty in the field of community care.

Nowt2Do? website www.flhs.org.uk/nowt2do/

Nowt2Do? Film t.co/2c39v7F4

The 2016 Nuclear Security Summit provides a forum for heads of state and foreign ministers to reinforce our commitment to secure nuclear material [Ben Solomon/U.S. Department of State].

3 stone Diamond ring

Kenya - Kibera Primary School: The Muslim run Kibera Primary School was one of many faith schools represented at a 7-day Education For Sustainable Development conference organised by ARC in Nairobi in 2012. On September 18, 2012, 26 Christian, Muslim and Hindu faith groups in sub-Saharan Africa launched long-term environmental action plans during ARC's 'Many Heavens, One Earth, Our Continent' celebration in Nairobi, Kenya. Visit www.arcworld.org

*Miles de personas en la Ciudad de México forman un sol vivo para promover la energía solar como una de las soluciones clave para el cambio climático. México también es conocido como la tierra del sol. Foto por* *Sara Ravelo/Spectral Q*

Desde las 9 de la mañana comenzaron a llegar voluntarios de diversas organizaciones como Presencia Ciudadana, Scouts de México, Prepa Sí,

Ecolideres, Oxfam Internacional, Cumulos de Carbono y muchos más para unirse a 350 y expresar su compromiso con el medio ambiente.

Sabemos que esta imagen solo es el comienzo; aun nos quedan varias horas de concierto con grupos de rock como Guillotina, Tana, Vrede, Desarmado, Bill, Los Mefistos y Jessy Bulbo.

Agradecemos a la delegación Venustiano Carranza y a todos sus colaboradores por todas las facilidades.

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*Thousands in Mexico City form a Living 350 Sun to rise awareness on solar energy as a key solution to climate change. Mexico is also known as the land of the sun. Photo by Sara Ravelo/ Spectral Q

Since 9 am volunteers started to arrive from different organizations as Presencia Ciudadana, Scouts de México, Prepa Sí, Ecolideres, Oxfam Internacional, Cumulos de Carbono and many more to join 350 and express their commitment with the environment.

This image is just the beginning; we still have hours of music and

entertainment!

We thank delegación Venustiano Carranza and all the employees for all their help.

Commitment - being committed to their learning

"I am COMMITTED I never give up. "

the introduction of computers into some complex human activities, may constitute an irreversible commitment

Joseph Weizenbaum | Computer Power and Human Reason: From Judgement to Calculation

www.kk.org/thetechnium/archives/2008/04/the_machine_tha.php

Background CC image: www.flickr.com/photos/rizzato/2283550273. This citation appears in the top right of the image.

Aruna Mohanty

Devotion, perseverance and commitment have placed Aruna Mohanty as the finest among Odissi dancers of her generation. Nurtured under the able guidance of Guru Gangadhar Pradhan, Aruna especially excels in the abhinaya aspect of Odissi. She has been a student and Secretary of Orissa Dance Academy. Her unique skill and versatility make her the recipient of many awards and accolades, including the Mahari Award 1997, Sanjukta Panigrahi Memorial National Award 2001, Fellowship by Ministry of HRD, Govt. of India, and an award for her contribution to the field of Odissi Dance, from the Utkal University, orissa. Apart from dance, Aruna has also established herself as an excellent choreographer. Some of the items in her repertoire include the dance ballet “Shrusti O Pralay”, “Varsha Abhisara”, “Shravan Kumar”, “Samrat Kharavela” , “Kanchi Abhijan”, “Krupanidhana” & “Krushna Saranam”, etc. Widely traveled to countries like Canada, USA, South America and some of the European countries, she is the advisor-member of Central Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi. Currently she is conferred for the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for the year -2010 by the Govt. of India. And Govt. of Orissa has appointed her to be the Vice-President of State Sangeet Natak Akademi.

Concept Note

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Gatha Odissi - from the temple to the stage

History is not scripted; it gets created over the ages. It transforms itself according to the tides of life and times. Therefore, from the point of view of the present, how does one view the entire panorama of Odissi Dance, which has traveled through an arduous journey of nearly two thousand years?

After the sunrise, comes the dark hour of the sunset. But the rhythmic foot falls of Odissi dance, however, continue to reverberate from within the dark corridors of history.

Around the middle of Ninteenth century a new resolve paves the way for the resurrection of the flagging traditions of Odissi Dance. The danseuse damsels break out of their stony incarnation from temple-walls and metamorphose into life. In this hour of revival, the great Gurus of our times create a whole new grammar of Odissi. The genesis of Mangalacharan, Pallavi, Sthayi, Abhinaya and Moksha, which form the superstructures of Odissi, spring up from the sub-structures of the allied art forms and folk forms of Odisha such as Mahari, Gotipua, Sakhi Nata, Raasa and Leela.

Through brief narrations and symbolic images Odisha Dance Academy spins the story of transformation and resurgence of Odissi Dance spanning from the Jagannath Temple of Puri right up to the contemporary stage.

Conceptualized by - Guru Aruna Mohanty

Kedar Mishra

Music composition - Guru Bijay Kumar Jena

Rhythm composition - Guru Dhaneswar Swain

Guru Bijay Kumar Barik

Musicians :

Mardala - Guru Ddhaneswar Swain

Guru Bijaya Kumar Bari

Vocal - Harapriya Swain

Nazia Alam

Rupak Kumar Parida

Violin - Ramesh Chandra Das

Flute - Srinibash Satpathy

Sitar - Swapneswar Chakravorty

Dance Choreography- Guru Aruna Mohanty

Dancers :

Odissi Dance : Ramesh Ch. Jena, Madhusmita Mohanty, Yudhisthir Nayak, Pabitra Ku. Pradhan, Sridutta Bhol, Janhabi Behera, Pankaj Ku. Pradhan, Pravat Ku. Swain, Arupa Gayatri Panda , Prashant Ku. Behera, Bijan Ku. Palei , Pragati Das & Rudra Prashad Swain.

Gotipua Dance : Sriram Chahatray, Suryakanta Samantaray,Arupananda Pradhan, Santosh Biswal & Rama Pradhan

Le HSBC PARIS SEVENS (8 au 10 juin 2018 au Stade Jean-Bouin) a officiellement été lancé aujourd’hui à Paris à la Région Île-de-France.

A cette occasion les 16 capitaines hommes et 12 capitaines femmes des équipes participantes au tournoi ont pris la pose autour du trophée de la compétition dans les jardins du Musée Rodin, Paris (Crédit Photo : I.PICAREL/FFR). Ils ont ensuite rejoint les locaux de la Région Île-de-France, partenaire de cette étape parisienne, situés dans le 7ème arrondissement.

Le HSBC Paris Sevens

Ultime étape du circuit mondial de rugby à 7, le HSBC Paris Sevens se déroulera au stade Jean-Bouin à Paris, du vendredi 8 au dimanche 10 juin 2018. Tournoi mixte pour la première fois de son histoire, le HSBC Paris Sevens 2018 accueille les meilleures équipes masculines et féminines du monde.

Avec 79 matches entre 28 équipes en 3 jours, le spectacle sera non-stop sur la pelouse du Stade Jean-Bouin. Dernier tournoi de la saison, les titres des circuits mondiaux masculin et féminin se joueront donc au HSBC Paris Sevens. Les tribunes et le Village des Supporteurs seront également en ébullition pendant 3 jours, avec de nombreuses animations « CRAZY RUGBY » qui seront proposées à tous les spectateurs !

Le programme :

Vendredi 8 juin de 14h à 21h40 > tournoi Féminin (ouverture des portes au public à 13h30)

Samedi 9 juin de 9h à 23h > tournoi mixte (ouverture des portes au public à 8h30)

Dimanche 10 juin de 8h45 à 19h40 > phases finales féminines et masculines (ouverture des portes au public à 8h15)

Le World Rugby Sevens Series 2017-2018 est la 19e édition de la compétition la plus importante du monde de rugby à sept. Elle se déroule du 1er décembre 2017 au 10 juin 2018. L'Afrique du Sud est tenante du titre et l'Espagne est l'équipe promue de la saison.

Au mois d'avril se déroulent les Jeux du Commonwealth 2018 où dix équipes des World Rugby Sevens Series participent. La compétition enchaine ensuite avec la Coupe du monde de rugby à sept en juillet 2018.

Chaque étape est un tournoi se déroulant sur deux ou trois jours, entre le vendredi et le dimanche. À chaque étape est convié une équipe qui ne possède pas le statut d'équipe permanente, portant le nombre total d'équipes à seize.

En fonction du résultat du tournoi précédent, ou du classement de la saison passée pour le premier tournoi de la saison à Dubaï, les équipes sont réparties en chapeaux avant tirage au sort pour former quatre poules de quatre équipes. Chaque équipe joue les trois autres membres de sa poule et un classement est établi, tout d'abord sur le nombre de points (victoire 3 points, nul 2 points, défaite 1 point) puis sur le goal-average général. Les deux premiers de chaque poule passent en quart de finale de la Cup ou tournoi principal et les deux derniers passent en quart de finale du Challenge Trophy. Les équipes vaincues en quart de finale sont alors reversées en demi-finales de classement, respectivement pour la cinquième et treizième place. Les équipes battues en demi-finales ne disputent pas de petite finale de classement et remportent le même nombre de point, sauf pour les équipes battues en demi finales de Cup qui disputeront un dernier match de classement pour la troisième place.

Chaque rencontre, y compris la finale depuis l'édition 2016-2017, se dispute en deux fois sept minutes.

Créée en 2016, l’étape parisienne de rugby à 7 rassemble, de ce vendredi à dimanche, les meilleures nations mondiales pour décider du vainqueur du circuit mondial. Une belle vitrine pour la discipline dans un pays qui ne jure que par le XV.

Dixième étape de la saison, le Paris Sevens clôture ce week-end le circuit mondial de rugby à 7, réunissant les 16 meilleures nations du monde aux quatre coins de la planète. De vendredi à dimanche, dans l’enceinte du Stade Jean Bouin, les équipes masculines feront le spectacle à travers une discipline méconnue en France mais très appréciée dans de nombreux pays. Et, pour la première fois cette année, les équipes féminines ouvriront les festivités.

Une véritable fête du rugby à 7, discipline olympique depuis 2016 et en plein boom grâce à la vitrine que lui ont offert offert les Jeux de Rio. Chez les hommes, outre les nations majeures de l’Ovale comme la Nouvelle-Zélande, l’Australie, l’Angleterre ou les Fidji, le Kenya, le Canada ou encore l’Espagne font leur trou et voient dans cette discipline une chance de développer un sport mineur dans leur pays. Chez les femmes, la Chine, le Japon ou la Russie figurent dans le top 12.

Le crazy rugby à la fête

Créée en 2016, l’étape parisienne est également l’occasion pour la France de développer la discipline dans un pays qui ne jure que par le XV. «Nous sommes fiers de soutenir financièrement ce tournoi et de permettre qu’il existe», a tenu à rappeler le vice-président de la région Île-de-France, Patrick Karam. Et de poursuivre. «La région est également présente dans la sensibilisation. Vendredi, 360 lycéens pourront découvrir la discipline grâce à de nombreuses animations. Il est important pour nous de tout faire pour développer cette pratique, en vue de Paris 2024», a-t-il poursuivi, alors que la conférence de presse de présentation se tenait dans les locaux de la région, dans le 7e arrondissement parisien.

Dernière étape de la saison, le tournoi parisien représente en tout cas une belle vitrine pour la discipline, dans une ville au rayonnement mondial. «C’est formidable de pouvoir clôturer la saison dans une ville aussi magnifique, chez un hôte comme la France», ajoute de son côté Douglas Langley, directeur du tournoi et membre de World Rugby. «Nous nous réjouissons d’avance de ce week-end de ‘crazy rugby’», conclut-il. Et c’est bien là l’atout majeur de la discipline. Spectaculaire, chaque rencontre offre de nombreux essais et des sprints permanents.

Les Bleues veulent briller

Le public parisien, qui vient en nombre à chaque édition, est adepte de cette discipline. Le Stade Jean Bouin était plein en 2016 et 2017, et l’édition 2018, même s’il reste encore des places à vendre, ne dérogera certainement pas à la règle. Pourtant, ce ne sont pas les résultats des Bleus qui font venir les supporters. Malgré une 3e place en 2016, et une 5e en 2017, l’équipe masculine connaît une saison compliquée. 12e sur 16 au classement, les Bleus n’ont pas fait mieux que 7e cette année lors des neuf précédents tournois du circuit.

«Même si nos chances sont moindres, on rentre dans ce tournoi pour le gagner, et on a la chance d’avoir le soutien du public avec nous», déclare Manoël Dall’igna, capitaine de France 7. «Ces deux dernières années on a eu des supers résultats ici et on compte sur le 8e homme pour faire aussi bien», termine-t-il. Cette période de creux, due en partie à de nombreux départs en retraite en 2016, ne touche pas les féminines. 3e du circuit mondial, les coéquipières de Fanny Horta visent le podium à Paris. «On a reçu beaucoup de messages de soutien de la jeune génération, et on veut vraiment profiter de ce soutien pour garder la dynamique de la saison et faire un nouveau podium», confie la capitaine.

Mises en valeur ce week-end, les Bleues représentent «la véritable locomotive du 7 en France avec une très belle réussite sportive», estime Christophe Reigt, manager des équipes de France à 7. Suffisant pour développer la discipline en France ? Quoiqu’il en soit, avec cette étape parisienne, la Fédération se démène pour populariser le 7 dans l’Hexagone, avec un objectif majeur en ligne de mire : les Jeux olympiques de Paris en 2024.

The HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2018 Awards in Paris brought a fitting end to an enthralling season which saw South Africa and Australia crowned men’s and women’s series champions respectively.

It’s been one of the most competitive seasons on record as both the women’s and men’s series were decided by just two-point differences.

South Africa fought an incredible battle with Fiji in the men’s series to retain their title with victory at the final round in Paris, while Olympic champions Australia won their second overall title ahead of rivals New Zealand on the women’s series after reaching the podium at every one of the five rounds.

The end of season awards provided a chance to celebrate the men’s and women’s sevens players, coaches and teams that are the stars, ambassadors and role models of the sport.

World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said: “It has been another tremendous year for the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, which continues to go from strength to strength.

“I hugely admire the skill and physicality of rugby sevens and thank the players for their outstanding commitment which makes the series such a success. It is great to see the series capturing the imagination on and off the field with year-on-year increases in attendances, broadcast and fan-engagement figures, and that is a great testament to the players, coaches, host unions and everyone involved with the events.

“Rugby sevens took a quantum leap when it joined the Olympic programme in 2016 and now we look forward to a Rugby World Cup Sevens in San Francisco in just 40 days time in an iconic city and a market with great potential. It promises to be a thrilling and spectacular event.”

the workload. It is a blessing for me to be standing here.”

Rookies of the Year

Eroni Sau is the second Fijian to be named Rookie of the Year for the men’s series after being a clear winner in the fan vote ahead of his compatriot Alosio Naduva and Australia’s Ben O’Donnell. The 28-year-old featured in all 10 rounds in his debut season, using his powerful physique to score 37 tries.

France’s Coralie Bertrand, meanwhile, claimed the women’s accolade, having featured in all five rounds and helped Les Bleues enjoy their best season, reaching a first-ever Cup final in Kitakyushu and semi-finals in Langford and Paris to clinch the series bronze medal.

Fair Play Award

This award, selected by the match officials, recognises the teams who showcase rugby’s values of integrity, passion, solidarity, discipline and respect. Japan were awarded the women’s accolade after an event that saw them lose their core team status on the series, with Kenya the men’s recipients following an exciting season which saw them reach the final in both Vancouver and Hong Kong.

Roche’s kick with the final play of the match against England to snatch the bronze medal for invitational team Ireland at the HSBC London Sevens was a clear winner of the men’s award, beating Fijian Alosio Naduva’s last-gasp winning try against Australia in the Singapore Cup final and Matias Osadczuk’s break and calm head to send Renzo Barbier over for the winning try in Argentina’s Cup semi-final against South Africa in Las Vegas.

Capgemini Coach of the Series

Another inaugural category, selected by the series’ global innovation partner Capgemini, was won by New Zealand women’s coach Alan Bunting after successive victories in the last three rounds of the series in Japan, Canada and France as well as the Commonwealth Games title in April.

South Africa coach Neil Powell, who guided the Blitzboks to retaining their series title, picked up the men’s coach of the series award and paid tribute to his victorious team: “The mental focus and composure they showed was fantastic, all credit to the boys for believing in their success. We had everything to play for and the team did an incredible job, not just today but over the whole season.

“I also want to congratulate Fiji on an amazing season, they were phenomenal.”

DHL Impact Player

The race to be named DHL Impact Player of the Year in both the men’s and women’s series went right down to the final matches. In total 16 players from 12 nations won tournament awards during this season’s series.

New Zealand’s Michaela Blyde was delighted to win the women’s award: “This is pretty special. I’m shocked and truly grateful. I put this down to my teammates who create the opportunities for me and I thank them.”

La Fédération française de rugby organise, du 8 au 10 juin au stade Jean-Bouin, à Paris 16e, un tournoi international de rugby à 7 masculin et féminin, étape du HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.

Cette manifestation sportive, soutenue par la Région à hauteur de 170.000€, va rassembler 28 équipes internationales, qui s'affronteront au cours de 45 matchs masculins et 34 matchs féminins.

Le public pourra découvrir à cette occasion, jusque dans sa pratique féminine, une discipline largement méconnue.

Quant au stade Jean-Bouin, qui est l'un des sites retenus pour les JO Paris 2024, il pourra mettre en avant sa capacité d’accueil de 20.000 spectateurs.

Ce tournoi constituant la 10e et dernière étape du circuit mondial, il s'achèvera avec la remise des titres de champion et championne du monde de rugby à 7.

En soutenant l'organisation de tels grands événements sportifs franciliens, la Région Île-de-France renforce chaque fois un peu plus l'attractivité de ses territoires tout en assurant son rayonnement à l'échelle internationale.

Le titre HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series a été décidé de façon spectaculaire après que l'Afrique du Sud a battu l'Angleterre 24-14 en finale du HSBC Paris Sevens pour décrocher la médaille d'or et conserver son titre de série.

Au cours d'une des années les plus compétitives de l'histoire de la série, le titre est allé jusqu'au tout dernier match puisque l'Afrique du Sud avait besoin d'une victoire en tournoi pour dépasser les Fidji dans le classement de la série.

L'Afrique du Sud a terminé la série en tête avec 182 points, suivie des Fidji qui ont remporté l'argent avec 180 points et la Nouvelle-Zélande avec 150 points après avoir remporté la médaille de bronze à Paris avec une victoire de 38-5 contre le Canada dans la troisième place

Les champions de la série de l'année dernière, l'Afrique du Sud, ont devancé l'Espagne 15-10 en quart de finale avec un essai à la cinquième minute de Justin Deguld, après que les pointages aient été 10-10 à la fin du temps réglementaire. Les Blitzboks sud-africains ont ensuite trouvé leur rythme en demi-finale avec une victoire complète de 24-12 contre la Nouvelle-Zélande grâce à deux essais de l'impressionnant Dewald Human, 23 ans, qui a fait ses débuts il y a deux mois à Hong Kong .

Humain était de nouveau en forme de but en finale et était ravi d'être élu Joueur de la Finale: "Ca a été une expérience fantastique ici à Paris, je me suis appuyé sur moi et j'ai apprécié chaque minute sur le terrain. sommes très heureux de la victoire. "

Le capitaine de l'équipe sud-africaine, Philip Snyman, a ajouté: "Nous voulions aller jouer au rugby et nous concentrer sur ce que nous pouvions contrôler: les gars ont joué un rugby phénoménal et ont fait honneur à l'équipe. C'est un sentiment incroyable de représenter un pays si merveilleux et les gens de chez nous n'ont jamais cessé de croire en nous et de nous soutenir. "

Fidjiens ont raté l'occasion de remporter le titre plus tôt dans la journée alors qu'ils ont été vaincus 19-17 par une équipe d'Angleterre pleine d'entrain dans un quart de finale à couper le souffle. Le capitaine de l'équipe d'Angleterre, Tom Mitchell, a complété un mouvement de 26 passes pour marquer dans les dernières secondes du match et mettre un terme à la récente domination des Fidji qui les avait vaincus lors des quatre dernières manches de la série.

Les Fidjiens se sont rétablis pour battre l'Irlande 38-5 et les États-Unis 28-7 pour terminer cinquième à Paris et mettre la pression sur l'Afrique du Sud pour la finale mais finalement ce n'était pas suffisant et les Fidjiens ont été obligés de se contenter des dix tours.

L'Angleterre a produit une autre performance puissante en demi-finale avec une victoire convaincante de 26-12 contre le Canada pour atteindre sa première finale de la série 2017-18, mais ils ont été incapables de faire face aux Blitzboks en finale alors que les hommes d'Afrique du Sud couraient vainqueurs devant une foule parisienne bruyante.

Équipe Invitational L'Irlande a battu 19-5 du quart en quarts de finale, mais après sa médaille de bronze à Londres la semaine dernière, les Irlandais se sont montrés assez prometteurs au cours des deux derniers tours un brillant avenir dans le rugby à sept.

L'Argentine a remporté le Challenge Trophy, décerné à l'équipe terminant en neuvième position, après avoir vaincu le Pays de Galles 33-26.

Toute l'attention se tourne maintenant vers la Coupe du monde de rugby à sept 2018 à San Francisco du 20 au 22 juillet, où 24 équipes masculines et 16 équipes féminines s'affronteront pour devenir championnes du monde au cours de trois journées d'action excitantes. Plus de 72 000 billets ont déjà été vendus et d'autres détails peuvent être obtenus via

NOVO SELO TRAINING AREA, Bulgaria – Deputy Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe, Maj. Gen. Richard C. Longo speaks during the opening ceremony for Saber Guardian, Mar. 21. Saber Guardian 2014, hosted by U.S. Army Europe and the Bulgarian Land Forces, is a multinational military exercise involving approximately 700 military personnel from twelve participating nations including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Ukraine, Turkey and the U.S., as well as representatives from NATO. The exercise, which runs until April 4, 2014, is designed to strengthen international agency and military partnering while fostering trust and improving interoperability between NATO and partner nations involved in foreign consequence management and peace support operations with U.S. forces. Saber Guardian 2014 is part of the U.S. Army Europe annual training and exercise program and has been planned for since 2013. Last year’s iteration of the training exercise was conducted at the Romanian Land Forces Combat Training Center in Cincu, Romania. The training at Saber Guardian 2014 will reinforce USAREUR commitment to increasing regional flexibility, preserving and enhancing NATO interoperability, and facilitating multinational training. (Photo by Sgt. Brooks Fletcher, U.S. Army Europe Public Affairs)

In recognition of their outstanding service to Delaware, Governor John Carney honored 13 young people and five groups with the Governor’s Youth Volunteer Service Awards during a ceremony May 24 at the Polytech Adult Education Conference Center in Woodside.

“Across the state, I am impressed by the level of commitment our young people have to serving others,” Governor Carney said. “I am proud to honor their energy, spirit and willingness as they help us to build stronger and healthier communities. Without question, they demonstrate that one person can make a difference in the lives of others.”

More than 200 people, including Renee Beaman, director of DHSS' Division of State Service Centers, which oversees the awards, and Georgeanna Windley, Chair of the Governor’s Commission on Community and Volunteer Service, joined the Governor in honoring the young volunteers for their outstanding service, community impact and inspiration to others.

The Governor’s Youth Volunteer Service Awards are sponsored by the Office of the Governor and are coordinated by the State Office of Volunteerism and the Governor’s Commission on Community and Volunteer Service.

2017 GOVERNOR’S YOUTH VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD WINNERS

INDIVIDUALS

Wei-Ling Moloy

Arts & Culture

Nominator: Angela Williamson

Wei-Ling Moloy is an active volunteer at Hagley Museum & Library, serving as a youth leader in its Youth Leadership Program (YLP) and as a camp counselor. As a youth leader, Wei-Ling facilitates and designs programs and activities related to Hagley’s stories of technology, science, and innovation. As a camp counselor, she supported the adult camp instructors by interacting with campers, assisting with activities, and maintaining the enjoyment and safety of campers. Beginning in 2014, as a shy, quiet volunteer, Wei-Ling has grown into a strong leader who is respected both by her fellow youth leaders and the adult mentors in the Hagley Museum & Library volunteer program.

Suprit Bodla

Community Service

Nominator: Jim Power

Since 2013, Suprit Bodla has volunteered with the Boy Scouts of America, Christiana Care Health System and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). He has organized a variety of fundraisers to benefit LLS and also to raise public awareness of the fight against blood cancer. Suprit is also a student mentor for the Science Ambassadors Program at the Charter School of Wilmington, where he, along with his peers, helped to organize a STEM tutoring program at Marbrook Elementary School and work with the Delaware Children’s Museum to provide science and match activities for Engineering Week.

Nadeem D. Boggerty

Community Service

Nominators: Adrienne Gomez

Dover High School honor student Nadeem D. Boggerty has been volunteering in his community for the past six years with his church, his school and through social organizations. One of the many organizations at which Nadeem volunteers is the Calvary Church in Dover, where he and his family help pack boxes and assist with dinner on Thanksgiving each year. Nadeem also participates in several social service organizations (the Omega Gents, a program steered by Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.; EMBODI, hosted by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; and BeB.O.L.D., a nonprofit youth mentoring organization in Dover) where he has helped feed the homeless, staff information tables at Back-to-School Fairs, toy drives, First State Community Day, and other activities that support the local community.

Sarah Davis

Education

Nominator: Michelle Neef

Fourteen-year-old Sarah Davis been volunteering with Faithful Friends Animal Society for four years. Sarah passionately promotes, educates and supports her community and has become a true leader and advocate for her generation. Furthermore, she displays great compassion while taking the initiative to ensure the safety of animals. Her tenacity has saved the lives of many dogs and cats, and improved the lives of neighbors who care for them. Sarah has provided long-term foster care to neonate kittens and delivered food from Faithful Friends Animal Society Pet Food Bank to pet owners with low incomes or those struggling in other ways to assist them in keeping their family pets in their home. She also rescued dogs and cats from perilous environments and has been instrumental for the Trap-Neuter-Return program, which works to reduce and improve the community cat population.

Cheyenne McGowan

Environment

Nominator: Emily Krueger

Cheyenne McGowan started with the Brandywine Zoo as a summer teen intern with its Zoo Camps during the summer of 2016. After the summer, she continued her volunteer efforts by signing up to help with various educational events at the zoo, including International Red Panda Day, Vulture Weekend, and Noon Year’s Eve. Her role for these events was educating the public at learning stations using animal artifacts, activities, or crafts. In addition, Cheyenne frequently came in to interpret the zoo’s animal exhibits to the public as a docent. Since she started volunteering a year ago, Cheyenne has helped educate hundreds of people at the zoo, which serves the greater Wilmington area, on different environmental topics, including climate change, animal adaptations, and specific animal facts.

Michael Robinette

Health & Special Needs

Nominator: Margaret Jenkins

Since 2013, Michael Robinette has volunteered with the Mary Campbell Center’s Children & Youth program. Mike works with more than 100 children each summer, in a variety of age groups with unique physical or intellectual disabilities. His responsibilities include assisting children in different activities throughout the day such as arts and crafts, games, swimming and cooking. Mike also supports staff with talent show planning and production. Additionally, he provides supervision and companionship for campers on field trips during the summer camp program. Mike gets to know the campers on a one-on-one level and is quick to learn their likes and dislikes, and when they need or want help.

Santiago Vizcaino

Health & Special Needs

Nominator: Richard Huber

Santiago Vizcaino began volunteering with the Delaware Division for the Visually Impaired in the summer of 2016. During his time with the agency, Santiago has provided assistance in producing resource material for students with visual impairments, assisting staff with departmental projects and developing training procedures for the organization. Beginning at the Instruction Resource Material Center, Santiago produced large-print reading material for students, which were provided to 247 students. He developed a process that allowed books to be converted to PDF format, which allows a student with a visual impairment to use an iPad or other electronic device to review the document via voice narration or zoom text option, depending on the individual student’s needs. In addition, Santiago helped to develop training procedures for other volunteers.

Joy Baker

Human Needs

Nominator: Joyce Sessoms

In 2016 alone, Joy Baker volunteered an estimated 200+ hours in a variety of capacities in the Delmar and Laurel communities. She serves on the Youth Board of Directors of The ARK Education Resource Center, volunteers at her church as an assistant to the program coordinator responsible for youth activities, and is a member of the National Honor Society. For ARK, Joy acts as a recruiter and fundraiser, and is also an active participant in ARK-sponsored events like the Back-to-School Extravaganza held in Janosik Park.

Katelyn Craft

Human Needs

Nominator: Emily Holcombe

In July 2016, Katelyn Craft began volunteering at Exceptional Care for Children (ECC), Delaware’s first and only nonprofit pediatric skilled nursing facility for children who are medically fragile. Through the Resident Playdate volunteer program, ECC is able to provide the residents the chance to interact with individuals who can offer something other than medical care. At age 14, Katy knew she wanted to bring smiles and joy to children who have extensive medical needs. She has spent more than 100 hours reading, playing games, watching movies, assisting with arts and crafts projects, or just spending quality time with children who have little family involvement. In addition, Katy volunteered her time assisting with special events and fundraisers, like the Gala Fundraiser and Visits with Santa.

Daevean DeShields

Human Needs

Nominator: Aaron Tyson

Following the inspiration of his grandfather, Daevean DeShields created Project HOOP, which stands for Helping Out Other People. The goal of Project HOOP was to fill 1,000 bags with supplies to be distributed to people who are homeless through Faith United Methodist Church’s Open Hands Sound & Clothing Ministry. After recruiting from his local and school community (including his school principal), Daevean was able to meet and surpass his goal with a remarkable 1,015 bags assembled.

Jakob Ryan Thomas

Public Safety

Nominator: Shirin Skovronski

For almost two years, Jakob Ryan Thomas has volunteered as a junior firefighter with the Mill Creek Fire Company. In 2016 alone, he responded to 488 calls of emergency responses to structure fires, motor vehicle crashes, medical assistance, and other miscellaneous calls, amassing more than 500 volunteer hours. Jakob’s actions assisted the community in multiple emergencies, which were often quite serious and dangerous in nature.

Richard Thomas

Public Safety

Nominator: Robert Bassett, Jr.

Richard Thomas has been a volunteer firefighter with Camden-Wyoming Fire Company for two years, assisting in more than 300 emergency situations such as car accidents and house fires. Richard also assists with teaching fire prevention to children. Despite his youth, Richard is well-respected at the fire company and is seen as a mentor for new firefighters.

Ananya Singh

Social Justice/Advocacy

Nominator: Meghan Pasricha

For the past nine years, Ananya Singh has been a member of the Global Youth H.E.L.P. Inc. (GYH), a Delaware nonprofit whose mission is to train and support young people to become leaders by serving their communities through community service projects. Ananya served first as president of the middle school chapter and is currently chair of the high school chapter. Her time and efforts have been vital for many different community service projects, including the Annual Backpack Donation for the YWCA Home-Life Center, the Christmas Hygiene Product Donation, the Annual Ice Cream Party for the YWCA Home-Life Center and the Premier Charities Feeding the Homeless. She also has taught English and karate to younger children.

GROUPS

Greater Milford Boys & Girls Club

Arts & Culture

Nominator: Kenny Monroe

Following the devastation of Hurricane Matthew (Sept. 28-Oct. 10, 2016) in the Caribbean, the Teen TITAN program members of the Greater Milford Boys & Girls Club developed the “Hope for Haiti Donation Drive.” In a relatively short time, the Team Titan program members spent 400 hours collecting clothing, toiletries, bottled water, educational material and other items. More than 300 items filled more than 10 boxes and were sent to the people in Haiti to be used as they began to rebuild and recover from the effects of Hurricane Matthew.

Cape Henlopen High School Army Junior Reserve Officers Training Program

Community Service

Nominator: Angela Thompson

For 10 continuous years, the participants of the Army Junior Reserve Officers Training Program (JROTC) at Cape Henlopen High School have learned that everyone belongs to a community and therefore has a responsibility to that community. The 45 young men and women who comprise the current JROTC roster continue that legacy of service by devoting an average of 2,000 man-hours to community service activities benefiting a number of organizations, including the Delaware Seashore State Park, Beebe Medical Center, American Red Cross Blood Drive, the Salvation Army, Brandywine Senior Citizens Center and the National Kidney Foundation.

A.I. du Pont Middle School – Walk in the Kings Footsteps

Education

Nominator: Michele Fidance

When posed with the question “What will I do to walk in the footsteps of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.?” the student body of A.I. du Pont Middle School in Wilmington decided to answer the question literally. A small group of students, led by Jobs for Delaware Graduates (JDG) instructors, were given the project of researching the speeches of Dr. King in order to choose quotes that meant something to them. The students then inscribed their selected quote on a cut-out of a footprint, which was then affixed to the wall in the cafeteria as a means to inspire their fellow students. Once students beyond the JDG classes saw the footprints, they wanted to participate as well. The project helped to raise awareness among students of Dr. King’s life, teaching and legacy, and how it translates into community action and service.

P.S. duPont Middle School Student Council – Adopt a Family

Health and Special Needs

Nominator: Mallory Stratton

Each year, the student council of P.S. duPont Middle School in Wilmington spearheads its annual Adopt-A-Family Drive. The drive involves the school community at-large adopting the families of 15 to 20 P.S. duPont students who are need assistance to make the holiday season a little brighter. The donations of clothing, books and toys generated by the student council benefited upwards of 50 fellow students and their siblings in 2016.

Delmar High School - Wildcat Wellness Pantry

Human Needs

Nominator: Michele Fidance

The Wildcat Wellness Pantry is a food pantry at the Delmar American Legion, which provides nonperishable food and household items for individuals in need. The pantry is staffed by as many as eight Jobs for Delaware Graduate (JDG) volunteers. The JDG volunteers come in on Saturdays to assist families in need and taking inventory to ensure the pantry can reach even more people. An additional group of more than 60 volunteers collect the proceeds from canned food drives that occur during the school year to continually stock the pantry.

At the Jesus in the City parade I decided to take a shortcut: instead of going with the parade around the many downtown city blocks, I decided to take a shortcut and meet the floats on the way back. As I walked through the shortcut I got a bit tired and thirsty so I bought a cool drink. It was a sunny and hot afternoon so soon I was thirsty again and the sweat on my forehead started to bother me. As I reached the end of this shortcut street and met up with the floats of the parade I saw this man who was playing the role of our Lord, Jesus Christ: he was barefoot and wearing minimum clothes under the hot sun. Being tired and annoyed by the heat I immediately thought, “Is he crazy? I would never do that!” Then almost immediately I thought, “Thank God Jesus Christ died for me so I don’t have to do it!”

Such raw human thoughts caught me by surprise because for years I have been expressing my commitment to our Lord Jesus Christ (through prayers and Christian songs) telling Him that I love Him, and that I am willing to do anything for Him—even if it means persecution and death! Yet, here I was thankful that my Lord—whom I claim to love and willing to die for Him--died in my place because I was bothered with sweat! As I started to think about my hypocrite heart (I say “hypocrite heart” and not “hypocrite mind” because my mind knows what it wants to do, but it is my heart that makes claims and commitments it is unwilling to keep) I remembered how a while back I had a foot infection, and so I went to the doctor and after the treatment I asked him, “Doctor, will this leave a scar?” I was concerned if a scar—no bigger than a quarter inch in diameter--will be “visible” on the bottom of my foot (how often do people see the bottom of our feet anyway?!), and I claimed that I was willing to take the pain and the scars of the scourging Roman wimps on my back for the sake of Christ! Then I remembered how I spent thousands of dollars and years of my times on my braces—as if I am not going to die and rot, as if my teeth are eternal!

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There is a 10 minutes walk from the bus stop to my evening job and I enjoy that walk so much because the area is so quiet and peaceful that I always walk the distance rather than take the shuttle van. And I try to walk slowly to extend this 10 minutes walk to over 15 minutes. In those 15-20 minutes I pray my most sincere prayers and often times those prayers are audible if you are close to me. Last week as I was walking and praying I decided to think more about my hypocritical life, and soon I found myself telling God the truth about me. The truth is that for the last 12 years of my “Christian” life I was never a true worshipper of the Lord:

For the first 4 years I did not know much about Christianity and my life was characterized by lust. At the same time I had a crush on a lady who was my idol.

Then God freed me from lust just like that, overnight, and few months later He freed me from my obsessive crush on that lady and soon after that I started taking the Christian life seriously because I was afraid I would fall back into the slavery of lust (not because I loved Him but because I loved myself and loved the new freedom from sin I had). And so soon I became a “Christian” legalist full of bitterness, and lacked joy and peace. I knew what it meant to be saved by grace, but I had no idea what it meant to live by grace. In those years, as I worked in a warehouse, I wanted to please God more than anything and yearned to know His will and obey Him. I cared about His blessings more than I cared about loving Him for who He is. In those four years I fell in love with a close friend and soon she became an idol too—along with the dream of being happily married to her. So in those four years I had more than one idol that kept my soul “fresh” and energized: I had my self-righteousness, I had my false humility (which was more of a low self-esteem), I had the love of a woman who I was fascinated with. This went on for about 4 years.

Then within few months I got accepted into university, I lost the woman I loved, God freed me from my legalism, and I bought a camera! So for the next four years I had higher education as my idol (it so much replaced my low self-esteem as an idol), and rejection and pain occupied my mind more than everything else combined. Soon I started attending the university gym and physical health and appearance became another idol. And photography became kind of an idol too! This was the spiritual story of my life for the next four years.

Now that I graduated and working two jobs: I have idols in the form of worries about making and saving money, buying a car and getting my own place, getting married, etc.

Then if my life story goes like most people in North America: in few years I will have the worries of a wedding, being “happily” married, having “healthy” children. Then I will worry about their upbringing and then I will worry about the friends they hang out with, and their education. Then I will worry about them getting married, and then I will have my grandchildren as my idols. Then I will look forward to retirement and just relaxing—and that would be my idol--and few years later I will die. I will have just another grave and another tombstone, and I will be just another rotten corpse.

My life is truly characterised by worshipping idols, and hypocrisy is the best cover up for it. I do not remember a week where I worshipped the Lord only--He always had competitions. Actually, He was competing with my idols. I never for a whole day loved Him for He is, that is: to love Him because He is worthy of my love. And most of those idols in my life are not extraordinary things that forced themselves on me, no, it is just that my human heart has this endless capacity to make an idol of anything—to idolize and attach itself to anything and anyone except the One who deserves my worship and intimacy. That is what made Job so extraordinary because when all important things to him (his family, his wealth, his health, his fame and power, the respect of his wife and friends, God’s blessings, and his reputation as being righteous), things that could have been idols to him, were taken away from him, he said:

“ Naked I came from my mother’s womb,

and naked I will depart.

The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;

may the name of the LORD be praised.” (Job 1:21)

Job was not a man who only trusted and feared the Lord, oh no: Job loved the Lord!

The popular 21 century American preacher A. W. Tozar said, “Christians don't tell lies – they just go to church and sing them.” Well, I do not tell lies—I just live them. No one described me better than the Lord Jesus Christ when He said in Matthew 23:3, “So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.” The perfect inscription on my tombstone should read: A true idolater. A hypocritical Christian.

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There is something else I thought about the other day while walking to work. For years I prayed and cried for something I wanted God to do. But God in His infinite love and wisdom did not give me what I had asked for! If He did allow it to happen then I would have been absolutely miserable for the rest of my life! And you know what? Five years later while I was talking to Him about it I realized He did it because He loved me, and I thanked Him! Five years later I thanked Him! You know, if a stranger holds a public door for me for 2 seconds then I would thank him whole heartedly and without hesitation, yet I waited five years to thank my Saviour and Heavenly Father for freeing me from an absolutely miserable life! This is a perfect example of the idolatry of self-centeredness: my pain, my dreams, my hopes, my desires, my self-worth, and so on.

I also thought about something I pray for my future wife to have, and that is: for her to have a quiet spirit. I do not mean she speaks little or does not tell jokes, but not to have a restless spirit—to be resting in the Lord. The reason I pray for this is that many women I come across have restless spirits, and this restless spirit leads them to set goals and pursue them impatiently. For example, I know women who married men simply because they reached a certain age and that they had set a goal they should be married by a certain age; in other words a man entered a marriage based on love but his wife married him for no reason other than he was the most available man at that time! And the cycle continues: after they get married they become restless until they have their first child, then they become restless until they buy a house. In other words their whole lives are characterized by jumping from one idol to another. Then I realized what a hypocrite I am by asking my wife to have a quiet spirit, when I have not attained it myself—nor have put any meaningful effort into obtaining it!

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With all my idolatry God, in His mercy and love, did not treat me as I deserve. Often times I come across people who say that they can’t believe in God because He is a cruel and unjust Judge. But from my personal experience He seems to be the opposite: He is a very loving and just Father. I do not know where I would be today if God is not loving, but I do know that I will end up in hell. In the first few years of my Christian life I thought God mainly responds to us according to our obedience, but as I am growing older in my Christian walk and look back at my life I realize that is not true: God mainly responds to us, His children, like any parent would do and that is according to His love—and what an infinite source of sacrificial and enduring love He is!

I just described to you above what a deep well of idolatry my heart is, even though on the outside I might seem like a “good Christian”. And if God has overlooked all my other sins and just considered my idolatry alone and treated me according to that, then I would be in a whole load of terrible today. Yet, God treated me according to His love: He watched over me, and protected me—even when in my ignorance I asked in prayer for those things that will harm me. It is like when the apostle Paul said in 1 Timothy 1:13:

“Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.”

Why was God good to me? I do not know any reason except that He is good. It is like our Lord said in Matthew 5:45, “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” God does not say, “Oh, this man sinned! Let’s starve him to death!” No, He sends the rain on the righteous and the unrighteous; He is patient because He desires that all may come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ as Saviour and be saved.

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

Sometimes I like to think about the reason God has been good to me as in Genesis’ account of the creation. For example it says in Genesis 1:3, “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” He created light because He wanted to. Why is He good to me? Not because I deserve it, but because He wants to—because God is love. That is why another way to summarize my life is this: Fadi’s unfaithfulness. God’s faithfulness.

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There are just two more things I want to say about idolatry. The first is that the opposite of idolatry is intimacy. And intimacy is not reading the Bible, worship, singing praise songs, attending church, fellowship with believers, preaching, serving, or even trust and obedience; those things can increase intimacy and can be the product of intimacy but they do not necessarily mean intimacy. The best action that can describe intimacy is the word “rest”; that is: to rest in the Lord. The reason I say action is that resting is difficult when we have “so much” to do. We are driven to do this and that and resting in our world is often times equivalent to losing. Even prayer is not intimacy if you do not do it with a restful heart. Let me tell you how I imagine intimacy:

Suppose that I am married to a woman whom I am in love with and she is in love with me. Suppose she is a housewife and I am employed outside the home. I come home from a very tiring day and I terribly miss my wife; she too had a tiring day and misses me too. I enter the house and I sit on the sofa. What do you think I want my wife to do for me? Bring me a cup of cold water? Prepare me food? Give my shoulders a message? No, I will desire none of those things. The thing I would want the most is for her to come and sit beside me, resting her head on my shoulder, and wrapping my arm around her. I want to rest in her presence. That is what intimacy about.

Now if God stripped away everything dear to us, then out of need and loneliness we would start to spend more time with Him—we would become more intimate with Him. But this type of intimacy does not show true love. True intimacy is driven by love and not need of things; true intimacy is driven by the need to be with the one you love.

The second thing I want to say is this: often times our lack of intimacy with God is because we simply do not care anymore. Sin, of course, leads to lack of intimacy with God because God is holy and He abhours sin. But often times we simply do not care for being intimate with Him anymore. Strangely I found that I can love God but not like Him. It is very strange to say that I can love but not like a person but it is true. Sometimes because of disappointments with God (mainly because of unbiblical expectations we had of Him) we grow bitter toward Him. And even though we love Him by obeying Him, we become less fond of Him as a person (not as a human, but as an entity with a personality)—He starts becoming to us more of a good King than a loving Father. To protect ourselves from further hurt we stop caring for God or against God—we become lukewarm. And that means we stop expecting good from God and that is a very damaging thing to our intimacy. Let me tell you a story:

For the last year or so I did not ask anything from God in prayer: I just stopped expecting goods things from Him (for many reasons which I will not get into now). Then about 4 months ago I was listening to John Piper and he said something like, “Requesting things in prayer is not just something God wants us to do! Oh no, He commands us to ask!” I thought to myself, “Oh wow! It’s been so long since I asked anything from Him!” So I went to pray and it was a very difficult thing to do because I was breaking an emotional and spiritual protest against God. I simply asked Him to help me find a job because I had just graduated from university and I needed to find a job. That same week I got an evening job which I like, and next week I got an interview to a very good morning job that has to do with my university education and a couple weeks later I got that job too!

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For the year 2012 I really want to start to get to know God...intimately! Not just know about God, but know God. I remember Paul Washer saying something like, “I am tired of knowing someone, who knew someone, who knew someone, who knew God! I want to know Him personally!” Is there idolatry in your life? Some hypocrisy too, may be? Do you know God, not just personally but intimately? Do you even care to know Him intimately? And the answer is not a “yes” or a “no”; the answer is the answer to the question: What is your priority? If we are willing to become more honest then we can even ask: Does getting to know God intimately even make it on the list of the top five priorities in our life?

(Toronto, ON; summer 2011.)

www.lovelifelens.com

Credit: Paul Morse / Clinton Global Initiative

Opening Plenary: Reimagining Impact

PARTICIPANTS:

Hillary Rodham Clinton, Former U.S. Secretary of State and U.S. Senator from New York

Jim Yong Kim, President, World Bank Group

Ginni Rometty, Chairman, President, and CEO, IBM

Panel Discussion:

PARTICIPANTS:

President Bill Clinton, Founding Chairman, Clinton Global Initiative; 42nd President of the United States

Michelle Bachelet, President of the Republic of Chile

His Majesty King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Commitment Announcements:

REMARKS:

Chelsea Clinton, Vice Chair, Clinton Foundation

Climate Leaders Summit 2009.

Climate Leaders Summit Opening Commitment Session.

Steve Howard, CEO, the Climate Group;

Helen Clark, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme;

H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco;

Shai Agassi, CEO and Founder, Better Place;

Alex Salmond, First Minister of Scotland;

President Nasheed, Maldives;

Premier Jean Charest, Quebec;

Premier Mike Rann, South Australia;

Governor Jose Serra, Sao Paulo;

Minister Christa Thorben, North Rhine-Westphalia;

President Jean-Paul Houchon, île-de-France;

President José Montilla, Catalonia;

Governor Jim Doyle, Wisconsin;

Premier Greg Selinger, Manitoba;

First Minister Carwyn Jones, Wales;

Premier Gordon Cambell, Britsh Columbia;

Premier Eva Aariak, Nunavut;

Governor Chris Gregorie, Washington;

Minister Kate Jones, Queensland;

Minister Erik van Heijningen, South Holland;

Minister John Gerretsen, Ontario;

Minister Dr. Markus Soeder, Bavaria.

The Dasavatar play depicts the 10 main incarnations of the Supreme Lord, Narayana, and how, due to His boundless love, He limits himself in order to uplift humanity.

The production began at the beginning of January where we had to coordinate with participants abroad and schedule rehearsals accordingly. A team of over 50 people, including the cast, backstage management, musicians, lighting, audio, makeup team, and the construction team who made the props, all came together as one unit to create this offering.

The intense rehearsals and the commitment everyone gave towards the project was beautiful to witness. For this, we can only show our upmost gratitude towards our Guru who guided each and every step. The number one Director of it all.

bhaktimarga.org

This artwork is featured in the exhibition Art of the State: Pennsylvania 2019 at The State Museum of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. This exhibition runs from Sunday, June 23, 2019 to Sunday, September 8, 2019. www.statemuseumpa.org

Linda Benzon lives in Carlisle, Cumberland County.

A photo of a title commitment from Chicago Title.

It’s not just sitting on a stand watching the world sail by.

Being a lifeguard requires continuous training, hard work, commitment and a love for the job. Helping train Jr Lifeguards during summer camp, participating in daily drills, training in all levels of first aid, working out, and practicing for competitions are all part of the job description. All of that with the goal of keeping the visitors to our beaches safe.

Photographs by Craig McClure

18126

© 2018

ALL Rights reserved by City of Virginia Beach.

Contact photo[at]vbgov.com for permission to use. Commercial use not allowed.

Photo Credit: Wendy Wang / Clinton Global Initiative

A tour through the history of the Diocese of Würzburg

The were the first Christians in and around Würzburg at least since the mission of the Irish missionaries Kilian, Kolonat and Totnan who around 689 suffered the martyrdom. Boniface the creation of stable church structures is due to him. A center of earlier Christianization probably the monastery Karlburg at Karlstadt (district of Main-Spessart) may have been, which is associated with the Sacred Immina, as well as the of the Holy Leoba, a relative of Boniface, directed monastery of Tauberbischofsheim.

Burkard - the first bishop of Würzburg

End 741, no later than 742, consecrated archbishop Boniface Burkard first bishop of Würzburg. Burkard founded the St. Andrew's Abbey, on whose ground today stands the over 950-year-old parish church of St. Burkard. The life of faith in Franconia seems to have taken a rapid rise: Würzburg the Gospel soon proclaimed at the Upper Main, Steigerwald as well as with the Saxonians in Central and Northern Germany. The Diocese of Paderborn, from Main missionized, still today the Holy Kilian reveres as second patron.

In the Middle Ages, Würzburg had a high rank: imperial and court days took place, the wedding of emperor Frederick Barbarossa, also a German national council (1287). Numerous religious communities settled here; 1221 was born in Würzburg the first Franciscan monastery north of the Alps.

Reformation and Peasants' War brought changes

Würzburg under bishop Bruno saw the stable time of the Empire; later the conflicts in the Investiture Controversy, in which Bishop Adalbero played a prominent role. Also of social and religious grievances the city was not spared, in the aftermath of which Reformation and Peasants' War brought profound changes. A victim of the sectarian clashes was the martyr priest Liborius Wagner - now a warning voice for reconciliation.

To consolidation and a revival led the diocese especially bishop Julius Echter of Mespelbrunn. In addition to the Juliusspital other hospitals and charitable institutions emerged. Were promoted education and school system, in 1582 founded the university. Deep wounds inflicted the conflicts of the Thirty Years War. Swedish troops occupied the fortress Marienberg.

Baroque time - golden period

This confusion in the 18th century was followed by a long period of peace and prosperity. The Baroque era let flourish art and culture to amazing accomplishments. The art-minded prince-bishops from the house of Schönborn brought skilled artists to Würzburg. The construction of the residence and the Baroque transformation of the city began. On the country-side local artists created serene baroque churches. Church life flourished in solemn processions, festive liturgies and exhilarated music.

As a result of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars, the Bishopric of Würzburg perished with other ecclesiastical territories. The secularization of 1803 also the cultural and charitable commitment of many monasteries ended.

1821 the Diocese of Würzburg arose newly

From now on church life sought new paths. 1848, for the first time the German bishops met in Würzburg for an Episcopal Conference. New religious communities emerged which tackled the social distress of the industrial age. The Catholic associative network began to constitute itself and to become influential.

In the culture war since 1871, the Catholic Church stood under state pressure. Then there were conflicts in the course of theological education, the First Vatican Council and the anti-modernism. After the misery of the First World War and the inflation period, the church struggle of the Third Reich in Lower Franconia became very violent. The solidarity of Catholics with their church and bishop Matthias Ehrenfried was demonstrated in the upturn of pilgrimages to the grave of Kilian from the year 1935 on.

The consequences of World War II

On March 16, 1945, with the city of Würzburg also the churches were reduced to a pile of rubble. Bishop Matthias Ehrenfried died in 1948; he was succeeded by bishop Julius Döpfner. 1957 Döpfner was appointed bishop of Berlin. His successor, Josef Stangl, who guided the destinies of the diocese until 1979, for his paternal and benevolent nature today is still remembered of many Catholics.

In 1967, the rebuilding of the cathedral was completed. A response to the new challenges of the church by the presence found the Second Vatican Council, which was attended by bishop Josef Stangl and auxiliary bishop Alfons Kempf. For the implementation of the Council's decisions in Germany, the synod of the dioceses of the Federal Republic worked from 1972 to 1975 in Würzburg Cathedral. In 1968, the Diocesan Council of Catholics in the Diocese of Würzburg met for the first time. The involvement of the laity in the Church henceforth will become increasingly important. 1979 Dr. Paul-Werner Scheele in the long line of Würzburg chief shepherds became the 87th bishop. On 14 July 2003, after almost 25 years of fruitful ministry for the Diocese of Würzburg, Pope John Paul II. the age-related resignation of Dr. Paul-Werner Scheele as bishop of Würzburg accepted.

On September 19, 2004, Dr. Friedhelm Hofmann in Würzburg Kiliansdom in the office of bishop was inaugurated. Pope John Paul II. him on 25 June 2004 88th Bishop of Würzburg had appointed.

Ein Rundgang durch die Geschichte des Bistums Würzburg

Die ersten Christen gab es in und um Würzburg spätestens seit der Mission der irischen Glaubensboten Kilian, Kolonat und Totnan, die um 689 den Märtyrertod erlitten. Bonifatius ist die Schaffung stabiler kirchlicher Strukturen zu verdanken. Ein Zentrum früher Christianisierung dürfte auch das Kloster Karlburg bei Karlstadt (Landkreis Main-Spessart) gewesen sein, das mit der heiligen Immina in Verbindung gebracht wird, sowie das von der heiligen Lioba, einer Verwandten des Bonifatius, geleitete Kloster Tauberbischofsheim.

Burkard - der erste Bischof von Würzburg

Ende 741, spätestens 742, weihte Erzbischof Bonifatius Burkard zum ersten Bischof von Würzburg. Burkard gründete das St. Andreas-Kloster, auf dessen Grund heute die über 950 Jahre alte Pfarrkirche St. Burkard steht. Das Glaubensleben in Franken scheint einen raschen Aufschwung genommen zu haben: Würzburg verkündete das Evangelium bald am Obermain, im Steigerwald sowie bei den Sachsen in Mittel- und Norddeutschland. Das Bistum Paderborn, vom Main aus missioniert, verehrt heute noch den heiligen Kilian als zweiten Patron.

Im Mittelalter hatte Würzburg einen hohen Rang: Reichs- und Hoftage fanden statt, die Hochzeit Kaiser Friedrich Barbarossas, auch ein deutsches Nationalkonzil (1287). Zahlreiche Orden siedelten hier; 1221 entstand in Würzburg das erste Franziskanerkloster nördlich der Alpen.

Reformation und Bauernkrieg brachten Veränderungen

Würzburg sah unter Bischof Bruno die stabile Zeit des Kaisertums; später die Auseinandersetzungen im Investiturstreit, in denen Bischof Adalbero eine herausragende Rolle spielte. Auch von sozialen und kirchlichen Missständen blieb die Stadt nicht verschont, in deren Folge Reformation und Bauernkriege tiefgreifende Veränderungen brachten. Ein Opfer der konfessionellen Auseinandersetzungen war der Märtyrerpriester Liborius Wagner - heute ein Mahner für Versöhnung.

Zu Konsolidierung und neuer Blüte führte das Bistum vor allem Bischof Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn. Neben dem Juliusspital entstanden andere Spitäler und karitative Einrichtungen. Gefördert wurden Bildung und Schulwesen, die Universität 1582 gegründet. Tiefe Wunden schlugen die Auseinandersetzungen des Dreißigjährigen Krieges. Schwedische Truppen besetzten die Festung Marienberg.

Barockzeit - Blütezeit

Diesen Wirren folgte im 18. Jahrhundert eine lange Zeit des Friedens und der Blüte. Die Barockzeit ließ Kunst und Kultur zu erstaunlichen Leistungen aufblühen. Die kunstsinnigen Fürstbischöfe aus dem Haus Schönborn holten qualifizierte Künstler nach Würzburg. Der Bau der Residenz und die barocke Umgestaltung der Stadt begannen. Auf dem Lande schufen heimische Künstler heitere Barockkirchen. Das kirchliche Leben blühte in feierlichen Prozessionen, festlichen Liturgien und beschwingter Musik.

Als Folge der französischen Revolution und der napoleonischen Kriege ging das Hochstift Würzburg mit anderen geistlichen Territorien zugrunde. Die Säkularisierung von 1803 beendete auch das kulturelle und karitative Engagement vieler Klöster.

1821 entstand das Bistum Würzburg neu

1821 entstand das Bistum Würzburg neu. Fortan suchte das kirchliche Leben neue Wege. 1848 trafen sich in Würzburg die deutschen Bischöfe erstmals zu einer Bischofskonferenz. Neue Ordensgemeinschaften entstanden, die sich der sozialen Not des Industriezeitalters annahmen. Das katholische Verbandswesen begann sich zu konstituieren und einflußreich zu werden.

Im Kulturkampf ab 1871 stand die katholische Kirche stark unter staatlichem Druck. Dazu kamen die Konflikte im Zuge der theologischen Aufklärung, des Ersten Vatikanischen Konzils und des Antimodernismus. Nach dem Elend des Ersten Weltkriegs und der Inflationszeit wurde der Kirchenkampf des Dritten Reiches in Unterfranken sehr heftig. Die Solidarität der Katholiken mit ihrer Kirche und Bischof Matthias Ehrenfried zeigte sich im Aufschwung der Wallfahrten zum Kiliansgrab ab dem Jahr 1935.

Die Folgen des Zweiten Weltkriegs

Am 16. März 1945 sanken mit der Stadt auch Würzburgs Kirchen in Schutt und Asche. Bischof Matthias Ehrenfried starb 1948; sein Nachfolger wurde Bischof Julius Döpfner. 1957 wurde Döpfner zum Bischof von Berlin ernannt. Sein Nachfolger Josef Stangl, der bis 1979 die Geschicke des Bistums lenkte, ist wegen seiner väterlichen und gütigen Art bei vielen Katholiken bis heute unvergessen.

1967 war der Wiederaufbau des Domes vollendet. Eine Antwort auf die neuen Herausforderungen der Kirche durch die Gegenwart fand das Zweite Vatikanische Konzil, an dem Bischof Josef Stangl und Weihbischof Alfons Kempf teilnahmen. Für die Umsetzung der Konzilsbeschlüsse in Deutschland arbeitete die gemeinsame Synode der Bistümer der Bundesrepublik von 1972 bis 1975 im Würzburger Dom. 1968 trat der Diözesanrat der Katholiken im Bistum Würzburg erstmals zusammen. Das Engagement von Laien in der Kirche wird fortan immer wichtiger. 1979 wurde Dr. Paul-Werner Scheele der 87. Bischof in der langen Reihe der Würzburger Oberhirten. Am 14. Juli 2003, nach fast 25 Jahren fruchtbaren Dienst für das Bistum Würzburg, nahm Papst Johannes Paul II. den altersbedingten Amtsverzicht von Dr. Paul-Werner Scheele als Bischof von Würzburg an.

Am 19. September 2004 wurde Dr. Friedhelm Hofmann im Würzburger Kiliansdom in das Amt des Bischofs eingeführt. Papst Johannes Paul II. hatte ihn am 25. Juni 2004 zum 88. Bischof von Würzburg ernannt.

www.wissen.bistum-wuerzburg.de/kirchenwissen/

Aruna Mohanty

Devotion, perseverance and commitment have placed Aruna Mohanty as the finest among Odissi dancers of her generation. Nurtured under the able guidance of Guru Gangadhar Pradhan, Aruna especially excels in the abhinaya aspect of Odissi. She has been a student and Secretary of Orissa Dance Academy. Her unique skill and versatility make her the recipient of many awards and accolades, including the Mahari Award 1997, Sanjukta Panigrahi Memorial National Award 2001, Fellowship by Ministry of HRD, Govt. of India, and an award for her contribution to the field of Odissi Dance, from the Utkal University, orissa. Apart from dance, Aruna has also established herself as an excellent choreographer. Some of the items in her repertoire include the dance ballet “Shrusti O Pralay”, “Varsha Abhisara”, “Shravan Kumar”, “Samrat Kharavela” , “Kanchi Abhijan”, “Krupanidhana” & “Krushna Saranam”, etc. Widely traveled to countries like Canada, USA, South America and some of the European countries, she is the advisor-member of Central Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi. Currently she is conferred for the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for the year -2010 by the Govt. of India. And Govt. of Orissa has appointed her to be the Vice-President of State Sangeet Natak Akademi.

Concept Note

----------------

Gatha Odissi - from the temple to the stage

History is not scripted; it gets created over the ages. It transforms itself according to the tides of life and times. Therefore, from the point of view of the present, how does one view the entire panorama of Odissi Dance, which has traveled through an arduous journey of nearly two thousand years?

After the sunrise, comes the dark hour of the sunset. But the rhythmic foot falls of Odissi dance, however, continue to reverberate from within the dark corridors of history.

Around the middle of Ninteenth century a new resolve paves the way for the resurrection of the flagging traditions of Odissi Dance. The danseuse damsels break out of their stony incarnation from temple-walls and metamorphose into life. In this hour of revival, the great Gurus of our times create a whole new grammar of Odissi. The genesis of Mangalacharan, Pallavi, Sthayi, Abhinaya and Moksha, which form the superstructures of Odissi, spring up from the sub-structures of the allied art forms and folk forms of Odisha such as Mahari, Gotipua, Sakhi Nata, Raasa and Leela.

Through brief narrations and symbolic images Odisha Dance Academy spins the story of transformation and resurgence of Odissi Dance spanning from the Jagannath Temple of Puri right up to the contemporary stage.

Conceptualized by - Guru Aruna Mohanty

Kedar Mishra

Music composition - Guru Bijay Kumar Jena

Rhythm composition - Guru Dhaneswar Swain

Guru Bijay Kumar Barik

Musicians :

Mardala - Guru Ddhaneswar Swain

Guru Bijaya Kumar Bari

Vocal - Harapriya Swain

Nazia Alam

Rupak Kumar Parida

Violin - Ramesh Chandra Das

Flute - Srinibash Satpathy

Sitar - Swapneswar Chakravorty

Dance Choreography- Guru Aruna Mohanty

Dancers :

Odissi Dance : Ramesh Ch. Jena, Madhusmita Mohanty, Yudhisthir Nayak, Pabitra Ku. Pradhan, Sridutta Bhol, Janhabi Behera, Pankaj Ku. Pradhan, Pravat Ku. Swain, Arupa Gayatri Panda , Prashant Ku. Behera, Bijan Ku. Palei , Pragati Das & Rudra Prashad Swain.

Gotipua Dance : Sriram Chahatray, Suryakanta Samantaray,Arupananda Pradhan, Santosh Biswal & Rama Pradhan

Skinner Wins All British Final to Claim Second Goanna Pro Longboard Tapia Title

TAPIA DE CASARIEGO, Asturias, Spain (Saturday, April 23, 2011) – Ben Skinner (Newquay, GBR), 30, has won the ASP Longboard Qualifying Series (LQS) 1-Star Goanna Pro Tapia today after defeating fellow British surfer Adam Griffiths (Newquay, GBR), 23, in a hard-fought final, taking home the valuable ranking points and US$2000 winner’s prize. Skinner, who was able to make the best out of the good clean conditions on offer throughout the final day, was unstoppable en route to victory despite a series of solid exchanges with Griffiths.

Skinner, using both experience and great variety of technique to tame the incoming-tide bigger sets, led the battle all the way through to the end, using stylish nose-rides and fast forehand re-entries to secure points. With an accurate wave selection throughout the 40-minute final and pleasing the Easter weekend crowds, the experienced athlete was able to stay ahead and win the ASP sanctioned 1-Star Longboard Qualifying Series (LQS) event for the second time in three years.

“I am so stoked right now and it’s pretty emotional,” Skinner said. “I wanted that win so bad, I wanted to do it for my dad, my new sponsor, my wife and kids and it’s just so good to take the win. I really overwhelmed wiith emotions right now and this win means a lot to me.”

With solid experience and using the priority tactics smartly, Skinner was able to capitalize on his opening good rides to patiently wait for the better walling-up waves and sections, using a maximum of speed to throw his nine-foot board off the top and show impressive commitment to the ASP judging panel.

“I started the final falling on my first wave and had to come all the way in to get my board so it didn’t begin well,” Skinner added. “The waves were good but it wasn’t easy to pick the opening ones and I am super stoked I managed to stick to my game and have a grip on the win all the way. Having a final with Adam was also a great thing, we are friends and he is definitely the young guy rising and I am sure we’ll qualify together for the ASP World Longboard Tour. A great thanks to all the support in recognizing our division and I can’t wait to compete at home for the European title and elite qualification.”

Finishing runner-up after the two-day event rally, Griffiths did not let go until the final hooter, paddling back out to the line-up to try and secure a second solid wave. Walking on his board from tail to nose and showing classical drop-knee frontside cutbacks, the other Fistral beach resident lacked some vertical sections to express the full repertoire of longboard surfing.

“I am super happy to have made my first final ever in an ASP event today and to have it against a friend makes it even better,” Griffiths said. “I was disappointed with my surfing in the final as I couldn’t find the good waves and just felt out of rhythm for this final heat. However, it’s a great finish for Ben and I and definitely brings great confidence before the second event.”

Leaving Tapia No. 2 on the ASP European Longboard Series and already eyeing the second and final event which will take place next August at his home beach, Griffiths was satisfied with his run in the Goanna Pro Longboard Tapia event, his runner-up finish to be counted in his career best results on the ASP tour. Considered one of Europe’s best longboard rising surfers, Griffiths will be much expected when he takes to the water in the final event in front of his home crowds.

“My goal is to get on the ASP World Longboard Tour events and this runner-up finish is just a super boost towards achieving it,” Griffiths added. “It’s been a great event for all of us, someone has to lose in the end and I wish next time the tables will turn.”

Placing equal 3rd in the event were French athletes Alexis Deniel and Remi Arauzo, both failing to advance through to the final despite some solid surfing. Both used to Semifinals and top finishes, Deniel and Arauzo came short of a second good ride in their respective battles letting the British contingent surf through to the final.

Having opened their runs on Day 1 with excellent levels including progressive flying maneuvers from Arauzo who landed the only Superman of the event in the Quarterfinals, the French team was not able to counter the Newquay residents’ assaults not failing in their wave pick and fast vertical forehand attacks.

“It was a good event and I felt good on the first day but failed in the Semifinals,” Arauzo said. “I felt I could have got higher scores as I wasn’t surfing too bad but things went Ben’s way and he deserved to make it to the final again.”

The ASP European Longboard Series will be back on from August 8 to 14, 2011, with the Relentless Longboard Masters taking place in Fistral Beach, Newquay in England.

All results, photos and news releases at www.aspeurope.com

GOANNA PRO LONGBOARD TAPIA FINAL

1st, Ben Skinner (GBR), 14.50

2nd, Adam Griffiths (GBR), 11.40

GOANNA PRO LONGBOARD TAPIA SEMIFINALS

Heat 1: Adam Griffiths (GBR) 14.95 def. Alexis Deniel (FRA) 14.60

Heat 2: Ben Skinner (GBR) 14.60 def. Remi Arauzo (FRA) 6.90

Photo Aquashot/ASPEurope.com

A female couple dance at their reception.

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© lutty moreira

In recognition of their outstanding service to Delaware, Governor John Carney honored 13 young people and five groups with the Governor’s Youth Volunteer Service Awards during a ceremony May 24 at the Polytech Adult Education Conference Center in Woodside.

“Across the state, I am impressed by the level of commitment our young people have to serving others,” Governor Carney said. “I am proud to honor their energy, spirit and willingness as they help us to build stronger and healthier communities. Without question, they demonstrate that one person can make a difference in the lives of others.”

More than 200 people, including Renee Beaman, director of DHSS' Division of State Service Centers, which oversees the awards, and Georgeanna Windley, Chair of the Governor’s Commission on Community and Volunteer Service, joined the Governor in honoring the young volunteers for their outstanding service, community impact and inspiration to others.

The Governor’s Youth Volunteer Service Awards are sponsored by the Office of the Governor and are coordinated by the State Office of Volunteerism and the Governor’s Commission on Community and Volunteer Service.

2017 GOVERNOR’S YOUTH VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD WINNERS

INDIVIDUALS

Wei-Ling Moloy

Arts & Culture

Nominator: Angela Williamson

Wei-Ling Moloy is an active volunteer at Hagley Museum & Library, serving as a youth leader in its Youth Leadership Program (YLP) and as a camp counselor. As a youth leader, Wei-Ling facilitates and designs programs and activities related to Hagley’s stories of technology, science, and innovation. As a camp counselor, she supported the adult camp instructors by interacting with campers, assisting with activities, and maintaining the enjoyment and safety of campers. Beginning in 2014, as a shy, quiet volunteer, Wei-Ling has grown into a strong leader who is respected both by her fellow youth leaders and the adult mentors in the Hagley Museum & Library volunteer program.

Suprit Bodla

Community Service

Nominator: Jim Power

Since 2013, Suprit Bodla has volunteered with the Boy Scouts of America, Christiana Care Health System and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). He has organized a variety of fundraisers to benefit LLS and also to raise public awareness of the fight against blood cancer. Suprit is also a student mentor for the Science Ambassadors Program at the Charter School of Wilmington, where he, along with his peers, helped to organize a STEM tutoring program at Marbrook Elementary School and work with the Delaware Children’s Museum to provide science and match activities for Engineering Week.

Nadeem D. Boggerty

Community Service

Nominators: Adrienne Gomez

Dover High School honor student Nadeem D. Boggerty has been volunteering in his community for the past six years with his church, his school and through social organizations. One of the many organizations at which Nadeem volunteers is the Calvary Church in Dover, where he and his family help pack boxes and assist with dinner on Thanksgiving each year. Nadeem also participates in several social service organizations (the Omega Gents, a program steered by Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.; EMBODI, hosted by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; and BeB.O.L.D., a nonprofit youth mentoring organization in Dover) where he has helped feed the homeless, staff information tables at Back-to-School Fairs, toy drives, First State Community Day, and other activities that support the local community.

Sarah Davis

Education

Nominator: Michelle Neef

Fourteen-year-old Sarah Davis been volunteering with Faithful Friends Animal Society for four years. Sarah passionately promotes, educates and supports her community and has become a true leader and advocate for her generation. Furthermore, she displays great compassion while taking the initiative to ensure the safety of animals. Her tenacity has saved the lives of many dogs and cats, and improved the lives of neighbors who care for them. Sarah has provided long-term foster care to neonate kittens and delivered food from Faithful Friends Animal Society Pet Food Bank to pet owners with low incomes or those struggling in other ways to assist them in keeping their family pets in their home. She also rescued dogs and cats from perilous environments and has been instrumental for the Trap-Neuter-Return program, which works to reduce and improve the community cat population.

Cheyenne McGowan

Environment

Nominator: Emily Krueger

Cheyenne McGowan started with the Brandywine Zoo as a summer teen intern with its Zoo Camps during the summer of 2016. After the summer, she continued her volunteer efforts by signing up to help with various educational events at the zoo, including International Red Panda Day, Vulture Weekend, and Noon Year’s Eve. Her role for these events was educating the public at learning stations using animal artifacts, activities, or crafts. In addition, Cheyenne frequently came in to interpret the zoo’s animal exhibits to the public as a docent. Since she started volunteering a year ago, Cheyenne has helped educate hundreds of people at the zoo, which serves the greater Wilmington area, on different environmental topics, including climate change, animal adaptations, and specific animal facts.

Michael Robinette

Health & Special Needs

Nominator: Margaret Jenkins

Since 2013, Michael Robinette has volunteered with the Mary Campbell Center’s Children & Youth program. Mike works with more than 100 children each summer, in a variety of age groups with unique physical or intellectual disabilities. His responsibilities include assisting children in different activities throughout the day such as arts and crafts, games, swimming and cooking. Mike also supports staff with talent show planning and production. Additionally, he provides supervision and companionship for campers on field trips during the summer camp program. Mike gets to know the campers on a one-on-one level and is quick to learn their likes and dislikes, and when they need or want help.

Santiago Vizcaino

Health & Special Needs

Nominator: Richard Huber

Santiago Vizcaino began volunteering with the Delaware Division for the Visually Impaired in the summer of 2016. During his time with the agency, Santiago has provided assistance in producing resource material for students with visual impairments, assisting staff with departmental projects and developing training procedures for the organization. Beginning at the Instruction Resource Material Center, Santiago produced large-print reading material for students, which were provided to 247 students. He developed a process that allowed books to be converted to PDF format, which allows a student with a visual impairment to use an iPad or other electronic device to review the document via voice narration or zoom text option, depending on the individual student’s needs. In addition, Santiago helped to develop training procedures for other volunteers.

Joy Baker

Human Needs

Nominator: Joyce Sessoms

In 2016 alone, Joy Baker volunteered an estimated 200+ hours in a variety of capacities in the Delmar and Laurel communities. She serves on the Youth Board of Directors of The ARK Education Resource Center, volunteers at her church as an assistant to the program coordinator responsible for youth activities, and is a member of the National Honor Society. For ARK, Joy acts as a recruiter and fundraiser, and is also an active participant in ARK-sponsored events like the Back-to-School Extravaganza held in Janosik Park.

Katelyn Craft

Human Needs

Nominator: Emily Holcombe

In July 2016, Katelyn Craft began volunteering at Exceptional Care for Children (ECC), Delaware’s first and only nonprofit pediatric skilled nursing facility for children who are medically fragile. Through the Resident Playdate volunteer program, ECC is able to provide the residents the chance to interact with individuals who can offer something other than medical care. At age 14, Katy knew she wanted to bring smiles and joy to children who have extensive medical needs. She has spent more than 100 hours reading, playing games, watching movies, assisting with arts and crafts projects, or just spending quality time with children who have little family involvement. In addition, Katy volunteered her time assisting with special events and fundraisers, like the Gala Fundraiser and Visits with Santa.

Daevean DeShields

Human Needs

Nominator: Aaron Tyson

Following the inspiration of his grandfather, Daevean DeShields created Project HOOP, which stands for Helping Out Other People. The goal of Project HOOP was to fill 1,000 bags with supplies to be distributed to people who are homeless through Faith United Methodist Church’s Open Hands Sound & Clothing Ministry. After recruiting from his local and school community (including his school principal), Daevean was able to meet and surpass his goal with a remarkable 1,015 bags assembled.

Jakob Ryan Thomas

Public Safety

Nominator: Shirin Skovronski

For almost two years, Jakob Ryan Thomas has volunteered as a junior firefighter with the Mill Creek Fire Company. In 2016 alone, he responded to 488 calls of emergency responses to structure fires, motor vehicle crashes, medical assistance, and other miscellaneous calls, amassing more than 500 volunteer hours. Jakob’s actions assisted the community in multiple emergencies, which were often quite serious and dangerous in nature.

Richard Thomas

Public Safety

Nominator: Robert Bassett, Jr.

Richard Thomas has been a volunteer firefighter with Camden-Wyoming Fire Company for two years, assisting in more than 300 emergency situations such as car accidents and house fires. Richard also assists with teaching fire prevention to children. Despite his youth, Richard is well-respected at the fire company and is seen as a mentor for new firefighters.

Ananya Singh

Social Justice/Advocacy

Nominator: Meghan Pasricha

For the past nine years, Ananya Singh has been a member of the Global Youth H.E.L.P. Inc. (GYH), a Delaware nonprofit whose mission is to train and support young people to become leaders by serving their communities through community service projects. Ananya served first as president of the middle school chapter and is currently chair of the high school chapter. Her time and efforts have been vital for many different community service projects, including the Annual Backpack Donation for the YWCA Home-Life Center, the Christmas Hygiene Product Donation, the Annual Ice Cream Party for the YWCA Home-Life Center and the Premier Charities Feeding the Homeless. She also has taught English and karate to younger children.

GROUPS

Greater Milford Boys & Girls Club

Arts & Culture

Nominator: Kenny Monroe

Following the devastation of Hurricane Matthew (Sept. 28-Oct. 10, 2016) in the Caribbean, the Teen TITAN program members of the Greater Milford Boys & Girls Club developed the “Hope for Haiti Donation Drive.” In a relatively short time, the Team Titan program members spent 400 hours collecting clothing, toiletries, bottled water, educational material and other items. More than 300 items filled more than 10 boxes and were sent to the people in Haiti to be used as they began to rebuild and recover from the effects of Hurricane Matthew.

Cape Henlopen High School Army Junior Reserve Officers Training Program

Community Service

Nominator: Angela Thompson

For 10 continuous years, the participants of the Army Junior Reserve Officers Training Program (JROTC) at Cape Henlopen High School have learned that everyone belongs to a community and therefore has a responsibility to that community. The 45 young men and women who comprise the current JROTC roster continue that legacy of service by devoting an average of 2,000 man-hours to community service activities benefiting a number of organizations, including the Delaware Seashore State Park, Beebe Medical Center, American Red Cross Blood Drive, the Salvation Army, Brandywine Senior Citizens Center and the National Kidney Foundation.

A.I. du Pont Middle School – Walk in the Kings Footsteps

Education

Nominator: Michele Fidance

When posed with the question “What will I do to walk in the footsteps of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.?” the student body of A.I. du Pont Middle School in Wilmington decided to answer the question literally. A small group of students, led by Jobs for Delaware Graduates (JDG) instructors, were given the project of researching the speeches of Dr. King in order to choose quotes that meant something to them. The students then inscribed their selected quote on a cut-out of a footprint, which was then affixed to the wall in the cafeteria as a means to inspire their fellow students. Once students beyond the JDG classes saw the footprints, they wanted to participate as well. The project helped to raise awareness among students of Dr. King’s life, teaching and legacy, and how it translates into community action and service.

P.S. duPont Middle School Student Council – Adopt a Family

Health and Special Needs

Nominator: Mallory Stratton

Each year, the student council of P.S. duPont Middle School in Wilmington spearheads its annual Adopt-A-Family Drive. The drive involves the school community at-large adopting the families of 15 to 20 P.S. duPont students who are need assistance to make the holiday season a little brighter. The donations of clothing, books and toys generated by the student council benefited upwards of 50 fellow students and their siblings in 2016.

Delmar High School - Wildcat Wellness Pantry

Human Needs

Nominator: Michele Fidance

The Wildcat Wellness Pantry is a food pantry at the Delmar American Legion, which provides nonperishable food and household items for individuals in need. The pantry is staffed by as many as eight Jobs for Delaware Graduate (JDG) volunteers. The JDG volunteers come in on Saturdays to assist families in need and taking inventory to ensure the pantry can reach even more people. An additional group of more than 60 volunteers collect the proceeds from canned food drives that occur during the school year to continually stock the pantry.

GET YOUR KNEE OFF OUR NECKS Commitment March Rally at Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool North Pathway, NW, Washington DC on Friday morning, 28 August 2020 by Elvert Barnes Photography

Visit Commitment March website at nationalactionnetwork.net/commitment-march-on-washington-dc/

Elvert Barnes 57th Anniversary of 1963 March on Washington COMMITMENT MARCH docu-project at elvertbarnes.com/57MOW2020

What sets us apart is our commitment to provide thoughtfully designed and well-crafted homes using the best in quality materials, uncompromising craftsmanship and superior building design. Each and every one of our homes is meticulously constructed with the same professionalism and care that has consistently earned us the coveted excellent rating awarded by TARION.

What defines us is our commitment to our homeowners. Known for offering the best after sales service in the industry, our mandate is for all members of our on-site support team to be readily available, educated and experienced to appropriately resolve any customer concerns – all backed by 24 hour emergency services support.

We are dedicated to guiding our homeowners through all stages home ownership – from the purchase, construction, move-in and beyond; because when you call Briar Hill home, you’re much more than a homeowner, you’re part of the Briar Hill family.

Please Do Not Use Without My Permission.

Commitment on the boat lift at Macduff Shipyards in Buckie. Unusual to get a Lowestoft boat this far north. More likely that it has been bought locally and it's in the yard for some work. May or may not be renamed but sure to get a new registration.

GET YOUR KNEE OFF OUR NECKS Commitment March Line-Up at Lincoln Memorial Circle and 23rd Street, SW, Washington DC on Friday morning, 28 August 2020 by Elvert Barnes Photography

BLACK LIVES MATTER DAYTON

Visit Commitment March website at nationalactionnetwork.net/commitment-march-on-washington-dc/

Elvert Barnes 57th Anniversary of 1963 March on Washington COMMITMENT MARCH docu-project at elvertbarnes.com/57MOW2020

© Stuart Freeman for Handicap International.

In South Lebanon, deminer Kassem Younis searches for unexploded ordnance in a field on an orange farm. In 2006 an extremely violent conflict broke out between the Israeli army and Hezbollah and cluster munitions were dropped on Lebanon, putting the lives of civilians at risk.

Legacies help us make a life-long commitment to communities affected by conflicts – a commitment that they are not forgotten and that our teams are always standing by their side.

Handicap International is an international aid organisation working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster in 60 countries worldwide. We support disabled and vulnerable people by responding to their essential needs, improving their living conditions and promoting respect for their fundamental rights. Our organisation is co-winner of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize.

African Union to host ‘Africa Leadership Meeting: Investing in Health’

African leaders will gather ahead of the 32nd African Union Summit, to launch a new initiative aimed at increasing commitments for health and accelerating path towards Universal Healthcare Coverage

What: African Heads of State and Government, business leaders and global health organisations will gather on 9 February 2019 in Addis Ababa to launch a new initiative designed to help deliver increased, sustained and more impactful financing for health across Africa.

According to the 2018 WHO Global Health Expenditure Database, African countries are gradually increasing domestic investments in health with 35 out of 55 AU Member States (over 64%) having increased the percentage of their Gross Domestic Product invested in health over the previous financial year. These increased investments have seen visible results in communities across Africa with shining examples of strengthened sub-national and national health systems.

However, while African countries have made huge strides in increasing domestic investments in health, only 2 out of the 55 AU Member States meet Africa’s target of dedicating at least 15% of the government budget to health and do not reach the suggested threshold of US$86.30 per person required to provide a basic package of health services. For the world’s most youthful continent, future growth and prosperity depends on developing and nurturing human capital.

However, more than half of Africa’s population currently lack access to essential health services, and millions die every year from commonly preventable diseases.

Chaired by HE President Paul Kagame, President, Republic of Rwanda; concurrent Chair, African Union and AIDS Watch Africa, the Africa Leadership Meeting: Investing in Health will be the first platform bringing together governments, private sector and the global development community, to coordinate and accelerate progress toward achieving universal health coverage.

When: The Africa Leadership Meeting: Investing in Health will take place on the side-lines of the 32nd African Union Summit, from 15:00 to 18:30 hours on the 9th of February 2019.

Where: Lalibela Ballroom, Hotel Sheraton, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Who: The Meeting will be co-hosted by the Republic of Rwanda and the African Union Commission.

•Chaired by HE President Paul Kagame, President, Republic of Rwanda; Chair, African Union.

•Panels include Heads of State and Government, African Union Commission Senior Leadership and Key Private Sector Leaders.

•Special Guests: H.E. Erna Solberg, Prime Minister, Norway, H.E. António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations and Mr. Bill Gates, Co-Chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Partner organisations include: The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, WHO, Georgetown University, Africans for Africa, Africa Health Business, African Development Bank, UN Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Volunteers’ commitment to record keeping has been crucial to the success of the Mectizan® Donation Program. BURUNDI

Photo: Adrian Hopkins

Published in the Community Eye Health Journal  www.cehjournal.org: Vol. 23 No. 74 DECEMBER 2010

Aruna Mohanty

Devotion, perseverance and commitment have placed Aruna Mohanty as the finest among Odissi dancers of her generation. Nurtured under the able guidance of Guru Gangadhar Pradhan, Aruna especially excels in the abhinaya aspect of Odissi. She has been a student and Secretary of Orissa Dance Academy. Her unique skill and versatility make her the recipient of many awards and accolades, including the Mahari Award 1997, Sanjukta Panigrahi Memorial National Award 2001, Fellowship by Ministry of HRD, Govt. of India, and an award for her contribution to the field of Odissi Dance, from the Utkal University, orissa. Apart from dance, Aruna has also established herself as an excellent choreographer. Some of the items in her repertoire include the dance ballet “Shrusti O Pralay”, “Varsha Abhisara”, “Shravan Kumar”, “Samrat Kharavela” , “Kanchi Abhijan”, “Krupanidhana” & “Krushna Saranam”, etc. Widely traveled to countries like Canada, USA, South America and some of the European countries, she is the advisor-member of Central Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi. Currently she is conferred for the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for the year -2010 by the Govt. of India. And Govt. of Orissa has appointed her to be the Vice-President of State Sangeet Natak Akademi.

Concept Note

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Gatha Odissi - from the temple to the stage

History is not scripted; it gets created over the ages. It transforms itself according to the tides of life and times. Therefore, from the point of view of the present, how does one view the entire panorama of Odissi Dance, which has traveled through an arduous journey of nearly two thousand years?

After the sunrise, comes the dark hour of the sunset. But the rhythmic foot falls of Odissi dance, however, continue to reverberate from within the dark corridors of history.

Around the middle of Ninteenth century a new resolve paves the way for the resurrection of the flagging traditions of Odissi Dance. The danseuse damsels break out of their stony incarnation from temple-walls and metamorphose into life. In this hour of revival, the great Gurus of our times create a whole new grammar of Odissi. The genesis of Mangalacharan, Pallavi, Sthayi, Abhinaya and Moksha, which form the superstructures of Odissi, spring up from the sub-structures of the allied art forms and folk forms of Odisha such as Mahari, Gotipua, Sakhi Nata, Raasa and Leela.

Through brief narrations and symbolic images Odisha Dance Academy spins the story of transformation and resurgence of Odissi Dance spanning from the Jagannath Temple of Puri right up to the contemporary stage.

Conceptualized by - Guru Aruna Mohanty

Kedar Mishra

Music composition - Guru Bijay Kumar Jena

Rhythm composition - Guru Dhaneswar Swain

Guru Bijay Kumar Barik

Musicians :

Mardala - Guru Ddhaneswar Swain

Guru Bijaya Kumar Bari

Vocal - Harapriya Swain

Nazia Alam

Rupak Kumar Parida

Violin - Ramesh Chandra Das

Flute - Srinibash Satpathy

Sitar - Swapneswar Chakravorty

Dance Choreography- Guru Aruna Mohanty

Dancers :

Odissi Dance : Ramesh Ch. Jena, Madhusmita Mohanty, Yudhisthir Nayak, Pabitra Ku. Pradhan, Sridutta Bhol, Janhabi Behera, Pankaj Ku. Pradhan, Pravat Ku. Swain, Arupa Gayatri Panda , Prashant Ku. Behera, Bijan Ku. Palei , Pragati Das & Rudra Prashad Swain.

Gotipua Dance : Sriram Chahatray, Suryakanta Samantaray,Arupananda Pradhan, Santosh Biswal & Rama Pradhan

Reinforcing its commitment to product development and global expansion, Jaguar Land Rover, the UK's leading manufacturer of premium vehicles showcased its breakthrough Land Rover Discovery Sport and Jaguar XE models at the Paris Auto Show.

GET YOUR KNEE OFF OUR NECKS Commitment March Rally at Lincoln Memorial Lower Steps in Washington DC on Friday morning, 28 August 2020 by Elvert Barnes Photography

Visit Commitment March website at nationalactionnetwork.net/commitment-march-on-washington-dc/

Elvert Barnes 57th Anniversary of 1963 March on Washington COMMITMENT MARCH docu-project at elvertbarnes.com/57MOW2020

Frameline presents Frameline 47: Commitment to Life at The Castro Theater on June 24 2023 in San Francisco, CA. © 2023 Zach Franzen for Frameline. (0N9A9288.JPG)

Commitment è una parola nuova per me, e non solo... è la parola che cambierà la mia vita e la vita di molte altre persone. Ne sono sicura.

In recognition of their outstanding service to Delaware, Governor John Carney honored 13 young people and five groups with the Governor’s Youth Volunteer Service Awards during a ceremony May 24 at the Polytech Adult Education Conference Center in Woodside.

“Across the state, I am impressed by the level of commitment our young people have to serving others,” Governor Carney said. “I am proud to honor their energy, spirit and willingness as they help us to build stronger and healthier communities. Without question, they demonstrate that one person can make a difference in the lives of others.”

More than 200 people, including Renee Beaman, director of DHSS' Division of State Service Centers, which oversees the awards, and Georgeanna Windley, Chair of the Governor’s Commission on Community and Volunteer Service, joined the Governor in honoring the young volunteers for their outstanding service, community impact and inspiration to others.

The Governor’s Youth Volunteer Service Awards are sponsored by the Office of the Governor and are coordinated by the State Office of Volunteerism and the Governor’s Commission on Community and Volunteer Service.

2017 GOVERNOR’S YOUTH VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD WINNERS

INDIVIDUALS

Wei-Ling Moloy

Arts & Culture

Nominator: Angela Williamson

Wei-Ling Moloy is an active volunteer at Hagley Museum & Library, serving as a youth leader in its Youth Leadership Program (YLP) and as a camp counselor. As a youth leader, Wei-Ling facilitates and designs programs and activities related to Hagley’s stories of technology, science, and innovation. As a camp counselor, she supported the adult camp instructors by interacting with campers, assisting with activities, and maintaining the enjoyment and safety of campers. Beginning in 2014, as a shy, quiet volunteer, Wei-Ling has grown into a strong leader who is respected both by her fellow youth leaders and the adult mentors in the Hagley Museum & Library volunteer program.

Suprit Bodla

Community Service

Nominator: Jim Power

Since 2013, Suprit Bodla has volunteered with the Boy Scouts of America, Christiana Care Health System and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). He has organized a variety of fundraisers to benefit LLS and also to raise public awareness of the fight against blood cancer. Suprit is also a student mentor for the Science Ambassadors Program at the Charter School of Wilmington, where he, along with his peers, helped to organize a STEM tutoring program at Marbrook Elementary School and work with the Delaware Children’s Museum to provide science and match activities for Engineering Week.

Nadeem D. Boggerty

Community Service

Nominators: Adrienne Gomez

Dover High School honor student Nadeem D. Boggerty has been volunteering in his community for the past six years with his church, his school and through social organizations. One of the many organizations at which Nadeem volunteers is the Calvary Church in Dover, where he and his family help pack boxes and assist with dinner on Thanksgiving each year. Nadeem also participates in several social service organizations (the Omega Gents, a program steered by Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.; EMBODI, hosted by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; and BeB.O.L.D., a nonprofit youth mentoring organization in Dover) where he has helped feed the homeless, staff information tables at Back-to-School Fairs, toy drives, First State Community Day, and other activities that support the local community.

Sarah Davis

Education

Nominator: Michelle Neef

Fourteen-year-old Sarah Davis been volunteering with Faithful Friends Animal Society for four years. Sarah passionately promotes, educates and supports her community and has become a true leader and advocate for her generation. Furthermore, she displays great compassion while taking the initiative to ensure the safety of animals. Her tenacity has saved the lives of many dogs and cats, and improved the lives of neighbors who care for them. Sarah has provided long-term foster care to neonate kittens and delivered food from Faithful Friends Animal Society Pet Food Bank to pet owners with low incomes or those struggling in other ways to assist them in keeping their family pets in their home. She also rescued dogs and cats from perilous environments and has been instrumental for the Trap-Neuter-Return program, which works to reduce and improve the community cat population.

Cheyenne McGowan

Environment

Nominator: Emily Krueger

Cheyenne McGowan started with the Brandywine Zoo as a summer teen intern with its Zoo Camps during the summer of 2016. After the summer, she continued her volunteer efforts by signing up to help with various educational events at the zoo, including International Red Panda Day, Vulture Weekend, and Noon Year’s Eve. Her role for these events was educating the public at learning stations using animal artifacts, activities, or crafts. In addition, Cheyenne frequently came in to interpret the zoo’s animal exhibits to the public as a docent. Since she started volunteering a year ago, Cheyenne has helped educate hundreds of people at the zoo, which serves the greater Wilmington area, on different environmental topics, including climate change, animal adaptations, and specific animal facts.

Michael Robinette

Health & Special Needs

Nominator: Margaret Jenkins

Since 2013, Michael Robinette has volunteered with the Mary Campbell Center’s Children & Youth program. Mike works with more than 100 children each summer, in a variety of age groups with unique physical or intellectual disabilities. His responsibilities include assisting children in different activities throughout the day such as arts and crafts, games, swimming and cooking. Mike also supports staff with talent show planning and production. Additionally, he provides supervision and companionship for campers on field trips during the summer camp program. Mike gets to know the campers on a one-on-one level and is quick to learn their likes and dislikes, and when they need or want help.

Santiago Vizcaino

Health & Special Needs

Nominator: Richard Huber

Santiago Vizcaino began volunteering with the Delaware Division for the Visually Impaired in the summer of 2016. During his time with the agency, Santiago has provided assistance in producing resource material for students with visual impairments, assisting staff with departmental projects and developing training procedures for the organization. Beginning at the Instruction Resource Material Center, Santiago produced large-print reading material for students, which were provided to 247 students. He developed a process that allowed books to be converted to PDF format, which allows a student with a visual impairment to use an iPad or other electronic device to review the document via voice narration or zoom text option, depending on the individual student’s needs. In addition, Santiago helped to develop training procedures for other volunteers.

Joy Baker

Human Needs

Nominator: Joyce Sessoms

In 2016 alone, Joy Baker volunteered an estimated 200+ hours in a variety of capacities in the Delmar and Laurel communities. She serves on the Youth Board of Directors of The ARK Education Resource Center, volunteers at her church as an assistant to the program coordinator responsible for youth activities, and is a member of the National Honor Society. For ARK, Joy acts as a recruiter and fundraiser, and is also an active participant in ARK-sponsored events like the Back-to-School Extravaganza held in Janosik Park.

Katelyn Craft

Human Needs

Nominator: Emily Holcombe

In July 2016, Katelyn Craft began volunteering at Exceptional Care for Children (ECC), Delaware’s first and only nonprofit pediatric skilled nursing facility for children who are medically fragile. Through the Resident Playdate volunteer program, ECC is able to provide the residents the chance to interact with individuals who can offer something other than medical care. At age 14, Katy knew she wanted to bring smiles and joy to children who have extensive medical needs. She has spent more than 100 hours reading, playing games, watching movies, assisting with arts and crafts projects, or just spending quality time with children who have little family involvement. In addition, Katy volunteered her time assisting with special events and fundraisers, like the Gala Fundraiser and Visits with Santa.

Daevean DeShields

Human Needs

Nominator: Aaron Tyson

Following the inspiration of his grandfather, Daevean DeShields created Project HOOP, which stands for Helping Out Other People. The goal of Project HOOP was to fill 1,000 bags with supplies to be distributed to people who are homeless through Faith United Methodist Church’s Open Hands Sound & Clothing Ministry. After recruiting from his local and school community (including his school principal), Daevean was able to meet and surpass his goal with a remarkable 1,015 bags assembled.

Jakob Ryan Thomas

Public Safety

Nominator: Shirin Skovronski

For almost two years, Jakob Ryan Thomas has volunteered as a junior firefighter with the Mill Creek Fire Company. In 2016 alone, he responded to 488 calls of emergency responses to structure fires, motor vehicle crashes, medical assistance, and other miscellaneous calls, amassing more than 500 volunteer hours. Jakob’s actions assisted the community in multiple emergencies, which were often quite serious and dangerous in nature.

Richard Thomas

Public Safety

Nominator: Robert Bassett, Jr.

Richard Thomas has been a volunteer firefighter with Camden-Wyoming Fire Company for two years, assisting in more than 300 emergency situations such as car accidents and house fires. Richard also assists with teaching fire prevention to children. Despite his youth, Richard is well-respected at the fire company and is seen as a mentor for new firefighters.

Ananya Singh

Social Justice/Advocacy

Nominator: Meghan Pasricha

For the past nine years, Ananya Singh has been a member of the Global Youth H.E.L.P. Inc. (GYH), a Delaware nonprofit whose mission is to train and support young people to become leaders by serving their communities through community service projects. Ananya served first as president of the middle school chapter and is currently chair of the high school chapter. Her time and efforts have been vital for many different community service projects, including the Annual Backpack Donation for the YWCA Home-Life Center, the Christmas Hygiene Product Donation, the Annual Ice Cream Party for the YWCA Home-Life Center and the Premier Charities Feeding the Homeless. She also has taught English and karate to younger children.

GROUPS

Greater Milford Boys & Girls Club

Arts & Culture

Nominator: Kenny Monroe

Following the devastation of Hurricane Matthew (Sept. 28-Oct. 10, 2016) in the Caribbean, the Teen TITAN program members of the Greater Milford Boys & Girls Club developed the “Hope for Haiti Donation Drive.” In a relatively short time, the Team Titan program members spent 400 hours collecting clothing, toiletries, bottled water, educational material and other items. More than 300 items filled more than 10 boxes and were sent to the people in Haiti to be used as they began to rebuild and recover from the effects of Hurricane Matthew.

Cape Henlopen High School Army Junior Reserve Officers Training Program

Community Service

Nominator: Angela Thompson

For 10 continuous years, the participants of the Army Junior Reserve Officers Training Program (JROTC) at Cape Henlopen High School have learned that everyone belongs to a community and therefore has a responsibility to that community. The 45 young men and women who comprise the current JROTC roster continue that legacy of service by devoting an average of 2,000 man-hours to community service activities benefiting a number of organizations, including the Delaware Seashore State Park, Beebe Medical Center, American Red Cross Blood Drive, the Salvation Army, Brandywine Senior Citizens Center and the National Kidney Foundation.

A.I. du Pont Middle School – Walk in the Kings Footsteps

Education

Nominator: Michele Fidance

When posed with the question “What will I do to walk in the footsteps of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.?” the student body of A.I. du Pont Middle School in Wilmington decided to answer the question literally. A small group of students, led by Jobs for Delaware Graduates (JDG) instructors, were given the project of researching the speeches of Dr. King in order to choose quotes that meant something to them. The students then inscribed their selected quote on a cut-out of a footprint, which was then affixed to the wall in the cafeteria as a means to inspire their fellow students. Once students beyond the JDG classes saw the footprints, they wanted to participate as well. The project helped to raise awareness among students of Dr. King’s life, teaching and legacy, and how it translates into community action and service.

P.S. duPont Middle School Student Council – Adopt a Family

Health and Special Needs

Nominator: Mallory Stratton

Each year, the student council of P.S. duPont Middle School in Wilmington spearheads its annual Adopt-A-Family Drive. The drive involves the school community at-large adopting the families of 15 to 20 P.S. duPont students who are need assistance to make the holiday season a little brighter. The donations of clothing, books and toys generated by the student council benefited upwards of 50 fellow students and their siblings in 2016.

Delmar High School - Wildcat Wellness Pantry

Human Needs

Nominator: Michele Fidance

The Wildcat Wellness Pantry is a food pantry at the Delmar American Legion, which provides nonperishable food and household items for individuals in need. The pantry is staffed by as many as eight Jobs for Delaware Graduate (JDG) volunteers. The JDG volunteers come in on Saturdays to assist families in need and taking inventory to ensure the pantry can reach even more people. An additional group of more than 60 volunteers collect the proceeds from canned food drives that occur during the school year to continually stock the pantry.

Deep Purple - Soldier of Fortune

I have often told you stories

About the way

I lived the life of a drifter

Waiting for the day

When I'd take your hand

And sing you songs

Then maybe you would say

Come lay with me love me

And I would surely stay

But I feel I'm growing older

And the songs that I have sung

Echo in the distance

Like the sound

Of a windmill goin' 'round

I guess I'll always be

A soldier of fortune

Many times I've been a traveller

I looked for something new

In days of old

When nights were cold

I wandered without you

But those days I thougt my eyes

Had seen you standing near

Though blindness is confusing

It shows that you're not here

Now I feel I'm growing older

And the songs that I have sung

Echo in the distance

Like the sound

Of a windmill goin' 'round

I guess I'll always be

A soldier of fortune

I can hear the sound

Of a windmill goin' 'round

I guess I'll always be

A soldier of fortune