Best Buddies Challenge 2008

September 6, 2008--Pacific Coast Highway, California--Nine hundred riders participated in riding and raising money for Best Buddies in The Audi Best Buddies Challenge: Hearst Castle. From Carmel t0 San Simeon, along the Pacific Coast Highway the weather was perfect as was the party at the end.

David Hasselhoff with Buddy Ambassador Brett Banford

The concert featured the Black Eyed Peas.

Miss GEICO

June 01--Ocean City, MD--Let's just say it moves, Miss GEICO moves fast skimming the water at speeds close to 200 mile per hour. The seas are cleared and with waves of 2-4 feet trying to deal with the bounce can cause a few problems such as holding the camera steady and getting Miss GEICO in the frame. But with luck and determination it was done. Miss GEICO is built for speed. On a nationwide tour around the country to promote racing and water safety, they are participating in the OPA/GEICO Triple Crown Racing Events.

Racing in the OPA/ GEICO 1st Triple Crown Event in Ocean City, MD

Scott Begovich, Throttles (front row center), Marc Granet, Driver (front row right)and the Miss GEICO crew.

Bryan and Jack

May 31--Fairfax Station, VA--During the Best Buddies Virginia Walk for Friendship, buddy pair Bryan Herbert and Jack Pasalaqua, were able to sneak away from the trail and hang out by the lake. Matched as buddies for several years, they have developed a loyal friendship. Each has learned from each other, that some people may have a disability but we all have abilities, a talent and skill that one can do better than anybody else. Best Buddies brought and nourished this friendship, as well as thousands of others throughout the state of Virginia.

Jack Pasalaqua and Bryan Herbert

B52s

Kate Pierson

May 17--Hyannis Port--The B52s performed at the Audi Best Buddies Challenge:Hyannis Port for over 1000 fans. Their new wave rock provided 90 minutes of dancing and song.

Fred Schneider

Cindy Wilson

Keith Strickland

Boston to Hyannis Port, Best Buddies Challenge

May 17--Boston/Hyannis Port--The one rule of rain is that it won't stop an event and the rain will stop......eventually. Once again, the Best Buddies Challenge started in a drizzle. The desire, determination and will of the 900 riders was not denied. Their spirit and optimism kept the ride going. Miss Teen USA, Hilary Cruz kept the crowd in a positive mood. This ride raised over $2 million dollars to support Best Buddies' mission to enhance the lives of people with intellectual disabilities through friendships and jobs.

Eric Matthes spoke to the crowd about his participation in Best Buddies and the positive influence it made in his life. He rode the 100 mile ride with Best Buddies founder Anthony Shriver.After reaching Hyannis Port, there is a series of Friendship Races. On tandems celebrities ride with a buddy. These races get competitive. Anthony Shriver with Katie Meade streaks past ABC's "The Bachelor" Andy Baldwin with his buddy.

Best Buddies' Founder and Chairman Anthony K. Shriver

The Audi Best Buddies Challenge: Hyannis Port Chairman, New England Patriot's Tom Brady with Best Buddies board member Katie Meade

Asian/Pacific American Heritage

May 13--Washington, DC--Celebrating the contributions of Asian/Pacific American a program sponsored by four United States government agencies provided a program of music, art and education. This lunchtime activity was in the Ronald Reagan Building. The Japanese Choral Society of Washington sang classical as well as contemporary music.

Ms. Kimiko Shimada, direct the chorus.

Dr. Frank H. Wu provided an entertaining and historical perspective of being an Asian American.

Bertand Mao, a renowned calligrapher and ink-brush painter demonstrated his skills
to the crowd.

Quincy Jones

April 23--Washington, DC--What an incredible week, earlier photographing the Pope and now celebrating another legend and humanitarian, Quincy Jones. On the honor of his 75th birthday, Special Olympics threw a party. Quincy has made significant contributions to the Special Olympics Movement. Over a 150 people attended the event in Kalorama.

Special Olympics Athletes, Paul Marretti (Virginia), Quincy Jones, Frank Stephens (Virginia) , Loretta Claiborne (Pennsylvania & Special Olympics International Board Member.

Congressman William Lacy Clay, Jr. Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Quincy Jones, Congressman Patrick Kennedy and Congresswoman Diane Watson

Colin Powell with Quincy Jones

POPE

April 19--Yonkers, New York--I got the call, I heard a voice, it was like an angel, "How would you like to photograph the Pope for Best Buddies?" Of course!! "We are trying to arrange two buddy pairs to meet the Pope and we would like you to photograph it." It did sound so easy, fly up for the day, shoot a couple picture and then back to Washington--E A S Y. Well not exactly. Security and the Secret Service closed down and locked everything up. We didn't exactly have the right credentials to get everyone together. A little coaxing and pleading got a parent the buddy into the chapel. All others were allowed to sit in the hallway and watch the monitors. Sometimes you just have to sit it out and be patient. Good things come to those who wait and think on their feet. As the Pope entered the hallway I was able to make a frame of his waving to me. Afterwards, Best Buddies Dean Halvatzis and his peer Buddy Christopher Grocki posed in St. Joseph's Seminary Chapel where the Pope had an audience and blessing for children with disabilities.

Special Olympics Basketball

April 05--Marymount University--You may not know all the names, nor all the teams but emotions and intensity is there. For over 10 years, Marymount University in Arlington Virginia has hosted one of the areas most desired and prestigious tournaments for Special Olympics. To those who officiate the games, this is the most important assignment we have all season.

No matter the level of competition, players try to work the officials. But this discussion has more to do with another topic. Veteran collegiate and Special Olympics World Games official Joe Mitchell and Chantilly Alumni player Michael Abraham take the time to get to know each other and develop a real friendship. Of all the levels we work, Special Olympics is the most rewarding and satisfying, pure athleticism and exciting games to watch and work.

2008 Cherry Blossoms

April 02--Tidal Basin, Washington, DC--The annual early morning trek to capture the cherry blossoms occurred after the clock change. Thus it wasn't as painful to wake up before the sun. Although, there were a couple days before that I did wake up early only to discover complete overcast skies. This year was more of a shoot and run expedition. All three national morning television shows were broadcasting and hundreds of school children were out. So the tranquil quiet of past years was not available. The light was spectacular this year, warm light on the blossoms early and vibrant light a few minutes later. ......

Stryker's America

“Stryker’s America” Featured on Spring Catalog Covers

Stryker’s America, a new documentary by Laurence Levin and Justin Schauble, is the featured, cover selection on the 2008 Films for the Humanities & Sciences Spring Catalog (www.films.com).

Stryker’s America creatively weaves the tale of a small “New Deal” program within the Department of Agriculture as it single-handedly recorded the iconic images of the national tragedy today known as “The Great Depression.” Roy Emerson Stryker was the unlikely leader of the History Division of the depression era FSA. Not a photographer himself, Stryker recruited and directed a passionate and diverse group of photographers who traveled America and documented the ongoing human tragedy.

Stryker was charged with providing dramatic and hard-hitting photographic evidence that illustrated the extreme level suffering then being experienced for the U.S. populace and for Congress. Stryker’s final product exceeded his charge, kick-started the careers of some of the 20^th Century’s most celebrated photographers, and re-defined documentary photography. The images from this collection include, Dorothea Lange’s “Migrant Mother," Arthur Rothstein’s “Dust Bowl” and Gordon Park’s “American Gothic.”

Interviews, archival footage, and still photographs show how one man’s passion changed the lives of thousands. Featured are interviews with Beverly Brannan, photography curator, Library of Congress, Alan Fern, retired director of the National Portrait Gallery, and Peter Kuznick, American University history professor. Schauble and Levin collaborated on this project as graduate students at American University.

“Brilliant documentary filmmaking,” said Frank Van Riper of the Washington Post. “Levin and Schauble offer a warts-and-all look at Stryker and his cadre of young photographers… and at a government program that began as propaganda and blossomed… into a priceless historical record of America between the two World Wars.”

Films for the Humanities & Sciences is the nation’s leading distributor of educational media to libraries and higher education. Julian Chiabella, FHS Acquisitions Manager, described Stryker’s America "as an involving illumination of a fascinating period of American history. It is a wonderful supplement to history, photography and government class curricula.”

Stryker’s America is available exclusively from Films for the Humanities on their website: www.films.com/ 800-257-5126

For more information click: Stryker's America

First Lady Laura Bush at USAID

March 7--Washington, DC--First Lady Laura Bush and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator and Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance, Henrietta H. Fore, celebrated International Women's Day. This event is an opportunity to celebrate the advancement of women throughout the world and inspire all women to achieve their full potential. This day also serves as a reminder of the continued action that is required to ensure women's equality in every country.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver

March 03--Bethesda, MD--By an act by Congress, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institutes of Health was renamed the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). Over 40 years ago, Mrs. Shriver urged her brother, President John Kennedy, to establish an institute that would conduct research on children's health and human development. Since its inception, the institute has conducted research that seeks to understand human development throughout the life process, focusing on developmental disorders, including intellectual disabilities, and illuminating important events that occur during pregnancy and childhood.

Mrs. Shriver was inducted into the NICHD Hall of Honor. Housed in the institute's Bethesda, Maryland headquarters, the Hall of Honor features commemorative plaques which recognize individuals who have made exceptional contributions to advancing knowledge of human development and improving maternal and child health.

Mrs. Shriver with her son, Timothy Shriver

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger with Mrs. Shriver

Caveman visits Cabela's

Phoenix--February 2007. The GEICO Caveman visited the GEICO Racing team who were in town at Cabela's.

With a young admirer.

In the African habitat exhibit at Cabela's

Shopping at Cabela's

Sustainability

Peter Seligmann, Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO Conservation International

Originally, they felt only a couple hundred would attend, in reality they had three times as many participants. Corporations realize conserving (or the new term is sustainability), is not only the right thing to do but makes economic sense. The GMA hosted a two day summit, that brought together corporations, government, NGO and academia to enhance this environmental discussion. Large organizations as well as all households can activity engage in changing habits that make a huge impact in conservation of renewable resources that save money and protect our environment.Steve Johnson, Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, (EPA)

Dan Esty, Director, Yale Center for Environmental Law, c0-author, Green to Gold, How Smart Companies Use Environmental Strategy to Innovate, Create Value and Build Competitive Advantage

Lord Michael Hastings, Global Head of Citizenship and Diversity, KPMG International presenting a talk on Vision for the Future/Call to Action