STAND FOR CHILDREN COMMUNITY MURAL

The 1997 Stand for Children Mural is an on-site, participant-driven form of art. This Memorial/Quilt is aimed at broadening the community’s understanding of the tremendous impact that guns, violence, child abuse and neglect, substance abuse, poor safety practices, AIDS, and a lack of access to primary health care are having on our community’s children. The Community Mural will be created during the Stand for Children Rally on Friday, May 30th, 1997 from Noon to 3:00 p.m. at the Government Center Plaza, 111 N.W. First Street.

Rally participants are encouraged to bring pictures of victims, poems or personal tributes (no larger than 8 ½ x 11"). These (along with messages created on-site) will be incorporated into the mural. Participants will be lead in this effort by painter/muralist and community activist Xavier Cortada.

During the event, Cortada will be joined by youth from Little Haiti Housing Association to facilitate the mural's creation. Those attending the rally will be given materials (paper and charcoal pencils) to write a note or draw a message to be incorporated on to the 16 foot-long by 8 foot-tall mural. In the end, the mural inspired by individual expressions is to convey the Greater Miami community's collective concerns regarding the health and safety of its children.

All are encouraged to attend and contribute their message. For more information, please e-mail the artist at:

xavier@cortada.com

Make a Difference... Join us at the Stand for Children Rally on Friday, May 30th, Noon to 3 p.m. at the Government Center Plaza: 111 NW 1st Street

http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/Children/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 23, 1997

CONTACT: Modesto E. Abety, Director

Children's Services Council (305) 633-6481

"STAND FOR CHILDREN --1997"

MOBILIZES DADE COUNTY RESIDENTS FOR HEALTHY & SAFE CHILDREN

MIAMI, FL. -- Thousands of residents of Dade County will participate in events during the weekend of May 30 to "Stand for Children". The local observance parallels similar activities in all 50 states and on the Internet. Events are focused on mobilizing efforts to improve the quality of children's lives. The events are centered around artistic expressions in muralistic painting, and the musical and theater contributions of our youth to a better community.

The 1997 "Stand for Children" invites Dade County residents to commit to personal action to ensure that every child gets a healthy start in life, health care to grow and thrive, and lives in a healthy community where they can walk to school safely and learn unimpaired by violence.

Modesto Abety, Director of the Children's Services Council and coordinator of the events, stated, "It’s an open invitation to the people of Dade County to demonstrate their concern for our children. We’ll have something for everyone who wants to take a STAND FOR CHILDREN."

Planned activities at the May 30th Rally , referred to as a "HAPPENING" by Corky Dozier of the Coconut Grove Children’s Theater and the Children’s Cultural Coalition, will include:

Cultural Events: performances by a variety of children’s dance, theater music programs coordinated by Corky Dozier . For more details call Ms. Dozier at 858-5180 or the Dade County Head Start Program at 347-4622.

The On-Site Mural-Memorial/Quilt is aimed at broadening the community’s understanding of the tremendous impact that guns, violence, child abuse and neglect, substance abuse, poor safety practices, AIDS, and a lack of access to primary health care are having on our community’s children. Rally participants are encouraged to bring pictures of victims, poems or personal tributes (no larger than 8 ½ x 11"). These will be incorporated into the mural. Students will be lead in this effort by painter/muralist and community activist Xavier Cortada. For more information, visit the website at http://www.cortada.com.

Volunteer Recruitment/Information: Nearly 50 agencies and programs that serve children will be providing information and/or recruiting volunteers to work with children. "We know that there are hundreds of people out there that have been wanting to get more involved and volunteer to work with kids. Here’s an opportunity to explore the various options and just do it", said Abety.

The "Stand for Children" rally will feature Rev. Doctor Jerome Starling (uncle of Rickia Issacs, killed at age 5, by a stray bullet at the Martin Luther King parade this past January; members of the Children’s Services Council who include: Kathy Fernandez-Rundle, State Attorney; Anita Bock, Children & Families District Administrator; Judge Bruce Levy; County Commissioners Betty Ferguson and Katy Sorenson; and Roger Cuevas; Dade County Public Schools Superintendent. They will lead rally participants in a pledge to continue to work to improve the health and safety of Dade County’s Children..

Throughout the day, on May 30th, the Children’s Services Council is asking residents to put their car headlights on to show their support for better gun safety and control legislation.

Other STAND FOR CHILDREN events are spread throughout the County over May 27th - June 5th.. They include:

The STAND FOR CHILDREN Lunch-time Lecture series from 12:00 - 1:00 pm. Bring a Bag Lunch to the Historical Museum Auditorium located at the Downtown Cultural Plaza; 101 West Flagler Street, Confirmed Speakers include:

Thursday, May 29th:

"ON VOLUNTEERISM; IT’S CHALLENGESAND POSSIBILITIES":

Scott Marken, HandsOn Miami

Monday, June 2nd:

"ON CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT; WHAT’S GOING ON? HOW DO WE STOP IT!!!"

Dr. Walter Lambert; M.D., Director, UM/JMH Child Protection Team

Tuesday, June 3rd:

"ON NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN BRAIN RESEARCH; IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC POLICY AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT";

Wil Blechman, M.D., Former State of Florida Health Officer.

Wednesday, June 4th:

"ON KINGSIAN NON-VIOLENCE, ITS APPLICATION TO THE 1990's AN TODAY’S YOUTH"

John Jones, Director; Val Thomas and Rachel Tourgeman, Kingsian Non-Violence Institute Miami-Dade Community College

Thursday, June 5th:

"ON FOSTERING A FUTURE ADOPTING A CHILD; OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE A FAMILY TO CHILDREN WHO REALLY NEED ONE":

Sara Herald; Children’s Home Society; Margie Amato, Dept of Children and Families; Chris Zawisza, Children First Project.

The Kids Voting Town Meeting. Over 200 High School Students from all over Dade County will be participating in a Health Care and Social Services Town Meeting on May 27th from 8:30 am - 1:30 pm at Miami-Dade Community College’s Downtown Campus. Students will listen to expert testimony on health and social services issues, and then express their concerns and priorities for next year’s legislative session to members of Dade’s Legislative Delegation (for additional information call Adriana Comellas-Macretti; phone: 436-9908).

Voices United presents "Real Life" at the Gusman Theater on Thursday, May 29 at 11:30 A.M. at a special performance for 1,600 students from Dade County Public Schools. These "kids who care about the community" have dedicated this year's performances to James Ried III, one of their performers, who was murdered last year.

A "ChildWatch" tour on Friday, May 30, from 8:30. to 11:30 A.M., will introduce members of the faith community to programs serving very young children at the Children's Home Society, the Debbie School & Mailman Center, the University of Miami’s Child Protection Team and Jackson Memorial Hospital's neonatal unit.

Various congregations will incorporate the spirit of "Stand for Children" into their prayers, services and other activities throughout the weekend of May 31st -June 1st.

A public hearing on the impact of welfare reform on children and their families will be held on Monday, June 2, in the chambers of the Metro-Dade Board of County Commissioners, jointly sponsored by Mayor Alex Penelas, the County Commission, and the National Association of Counties. Public testimony from those most directly impacted will be from 5:00 PM to 7:00 P.M.

An interfaith workshop will be held on Thursday, June 5, on the "Role of the Faith Community in the Era of Welfare Reform" at Central Baptist Church, 500 N.E. 1st Avenue, from 8:30 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.

Sign onto the "virtual" Stand for Children on the Internet at www.stand.org. There you can sign a petition to support health insurance coverage for all children, and find out what is going on in other communities. A special "milagros" (miracles) bulletin board carries messages from children themselves.

 

Over 500 Dade County residents traveled to Washington, D.C. for the national rally last year, and have worked to organize this year's local events. Sponsors of the events include Metro-Dade County’s Departments of Parks and Recreation & Human Services, Dade County Public Schools, Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami Children's Hospital, The Miami Coalition for a Safe and Drug Free Community, the Florida Center for Children & Youth, the Miami Herald, Logan Management, The Children’s Cultural Coalition and Xavier Cortada.

The national events are sponsored by the Children's Defense Fund, Stand for Children, and hundreds of children's organizations. The lead corporate sponsors for the web site are the Calvert Group and Bright Horizons. The national, honorary co-chairpersons this year are Rosa Parks and Rosie O'Donnell.

For information about specific Dade County events, contact the Children's Services Council at 633-6481.

STAND FOR CHILDREN

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Copyright © 1997 by Xavier Cortada. All rights reserved.
Revised: 14 Mar 2004 17:23 -0500