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P.O. Box 780, Nyack, New York 10960-0780 The Man in the Red Bandanna A Civilian Hero of 9/11 September, 2006 September, 2006 |
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Trustees
Alison R. Crowther
Jessica V. Alberti |
Dear Friends, As we approach the 5th anniversary of September 11th, we are blessed to be able to share with you the many good things, inspired by Welles, that have happened over the last year. The recipients of our Birchwood Award Scholarships at Nyack High School this spring were Stacy Kotorac and Steven Albert. Both students achieved high academic standing with important athletic and community service activity. Stacy was salutatorian of her class and captain of her sports teams. Steven, the son of Jon Albert, a victim of the September 11th attacks, was the star pitcher of the Nyack H.S. baseball team. In addition to the Red Bandanna scholarship for the Rockland Conservatory of Music, this year we made a significant gift to assist the Nyack High School Chamber Orchestra and Concert Choir participate in national events in St. Louis and Carnegie Hall, respectively. The "Welles Remy Crowther Service Award" was established this past spring at Boston College by the Undergraduate Government of Boston College and BC's Volunteer and Service Learning Center, Dan Ponsetto, Director. This new award recognizes outstanding leadership and contribution to Community Service by an undergraduate student. James Lajoie was the inaugural recipient of "The Welles Remy Crowther Service Award." At the awards dinner on May 2, a marvelous affair for over 100 students, administrators and guests, we presented a check for $1,000 to James for his charity of choice, Persevere Relief (Katrina) Fund, an organization founded by another BC graduate. This year, the Crowther family commissioned a beautiful new baptismal font for Grace Episcopal Church, now situated in the Memorial Garden, next to where Welles' ashes are immured. The font was consecrated on Holy Saturday by The Rt. Rev. Catherine Roskam who then christened our 3 week old grandson, Conlan Thomas Fagan, born March 27th to our daughter, Honor, and her husband Rick. Conlan was the first to be christened in the new font. We also commissioned a sculpture made from a section of steel beam from the World Trade Center given to us by William Harris, one of our Advisory Board members. Metal artist, Eznic Karakashian, has created the sculpture, entitled "Phoenix Rising" and the sculpture will be dedicated on Sunday, September 17 at 4:30 pm at Grace Episcopal Church, 130 First Avenue, Nyack, just before our 5th Annual Concert for Remembrance, 9/11 which begins at 5 pm.
Paul Chihara, world-renowned composer, has composed a beautiful new work, in memory of Welles, entitled "Flights of Angels." Mr. Chihara created the piece for Barbara Allen, principal harpist of American Ballet Theatre, and her daughter, Holly Druckman, flutist to premiere at the dedication of "Phoenix Rising."
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Concert for Remembrance, 9/11 is a free event for the community, sponsored by the Trust, Grace Church and the musicians who all volunteer their time. We hope you'll be able to join us! A great success, raising almost $11,000 for the trust at the first event last year, the Second Annual Welles Remy Crowther, BC '99, Red Bandanna 5k Run will be held on Saturday, September 23, starting on the Boston College Campus at 9 am. The Red Bandanna Run has become a major fund-raiser for Welles' trust and we hope you will consider supporting this effort in some way. Spreading the word is a great way to help! If you cannot participate in the Red Bandanna Run, but you would like to support this great event, you can make donations via the website or by sending a check directly to the Welles Remy Crowther Charitable Trust, payable to the Trust (note:Run). On-line registration ($25 per runner, $ 20 for student or sr. citizen), donations and detailed information about The Red Bandanna Run can be obtained by visiting the website www.redbandannarun.com. This was a truly inspiring event last year, with over 200 runners participating in the first event. Co-organized this year by BC's Volunteer and Service Learning Center's Dan Ponsetto, Director, Kate Daly, Asst. and Advisory Board Member lead organizers Marielle Sack, Jessica Alberti, Chris Ferrarone and George Leuchs, we hope that it will continue to grow, every year. We are off to a fantastic start! Corporate sponsors have included Boston College, Gabelli Asset Management, Coca Cola, Reebok, Nestle, City Sports, New Balance, Citysides, Roggies, Eagles Deli, Flat Breads Café, Johnny's Luncheonette, Presto Pizza, Tete-a-Tete, White Mountain Creamery and Dunkin' Donuts. There will be refreshments and a wonderful time to be had by all. Thank you, in advance, for whatever support you can give. The annual Who's on First fundraiser was great fun as ever, organized by John Howells, Matt O'Keefe, Scott Dunn and Ben Gird, bringing in over $ 5,000 and a wonderful reunion of old friends in Boston. Welles' Nyack HS Class of 1995 10th Reunion, spear-headed by Michael Barch, raised a gift of over $1,000 with a beautiful, moving tribute to Welles at the dinner. The Trust has also been the beneficiary of the talent and generosity of renowned artist, Sylvia Roth. Sylvia painted a beautiful oil of a yellow orchid against a dark background and called it "Welles' Light." The New York Times featured the painting when promoting the opening of Sylvia's show at a gallery in Madison, New Jersey, last October. Sylvia is donating all proceeds from the sale of the prints to the Trust. If you would like information about purchasing one of these lovely prints, please contact us at crowthertrust@aol.com The Annual Red Bandanna Skate, our winter fund-raiser organized by John Scott, Chris and Nicole Varmon and Nyack HS Ice Hockey Alums, raised $5,000 for the Trust. Thanks to John, The Carolina Hurricanes (this year's Stanley Cup winners!) donated a signed team jersey for the silent auction! A young ice hockey player coached by John, Tim Wurman, age 13, organized a benefit ice hockey game for his bar mitzvah good deed, and raised $600 for the trust. Tim was the first recipient of John's Welles Crowther Award for outstanding leadership on his team in the Carolina Hurricanes' youth hockey program. Tyler Jewell, one of Welles' BC '99 roommates and fellow BC Lax teammate, wore a Red Bandanna in memory of Welles when he competed as a Parallel Giant Slalom Snowboarder this past February in the Winter Olympics in Italy. The Crowther Cup was held at Redtail in August, hosted by Jon Drake and organized by George Leuchs, raising a contribution to the trust through the gentlemanly competition of Welles' BC friends who golf. Over the past year, we made donations to several new charities, while maintaining our annual commitments to organizations already receiving gifts from the trust. Our recipients included Boston College Fund, Rockland Symphony Orchestra, Rockland Conservatory of Music, Fresh Air Fund, Camp Becket (YMCA), Institute for Educational Achievement, Summit Speech School, Bonnie Brae School, Cristo Rey NY High School, Fundhamer-Cebes Scholarship Fund, Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, The Smile Train, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Association to Benefit Children, American Stroke Assoc., American Cancer Society, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Memory Ride, The George School Scholarship Fund, Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks, Grace Episcopal Church, GraceMusic and MetroLacrosse. Additional programs are being considered for support. As ever, we thank you all for your continuing interest and support of Welles' charitable trust, helping us to carry on his memory and legacy. God Bless you all for your kindness and generosity. We hope that you will continue to keep the Welles Remy Crowther Charitable Trust in your charitable giving plans for 2006-2007.
Warmly, |
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