“I and mine do not convince by arguments, similes, rhymes. We convince by our presence.”
— Walt Whitman
TOASTS
CONGRATULATIONS to BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee for winning the 2009 Ava Platinum Award for the video “The Color of Blood.” The award is given for video, film and documentary productions.
The prestigious award has been given to only 12 percent of 1,700 entries from America, Canada and other countries.
“The Color of Blood” tells the story of the fight for equal rights for blacks in the U.S. military, according to a news release. The 26-minute documentary features testimony from historians, professors and veterans.
“Winning this award is truly an honor,” said Ron Harris, manager of work-force diversity for BlueCross. “It reinforces the important sacrifices made by African-American soldiers in our nation’s military.”
Winners were selected from more than 160 categories in three divisions: television productions, video/film productions and Web/new media.
The African-American Contributions Series is an award-winning video series sponsored and produced by BlueCross that highlights the achievements of blacks throughout history. The DVDs are sent to Tennessee-area schools, museums and libraries to be used as an educational resource for educators and students.
EAR TO THE GROUND
A CARIBBEAN BEACH PARTY benefiting the Caribbean and Tennessee Student Environmental Alliance’s “Kids 4 Clean Water” program in the Chattanooga area and the Caribbean will be held Jan. 29 at Bessie Smith Cultural Center.
The event helps to raise money to provide water-testing kits, transportation expenses to water-testing sites, field trips, summer camps, college scholarships and staff support for the Student Environmental Alliance programs for students.
The festive event will include dinner, a salsa bar, dance contests and silent/live auctions that will include vacations to the Caribbean. Entertainment will be provided by Kofi Mawuko and Ogya World Beat Band. Event sponsors are Leisure Time Dive, Ski, and Travel; Contemporary Portraits; Pruetts Signal Mountain Market; Athens Distributing and Tennessee Aquarium.
For more information, call Connie Hill at 605-3483 or Mary Beth Sutton at 413-0471.
E-mail information and photos to Karen Nazor Hill at khill@timesfreepress.com. Submitted photos will not be returned.