Last evening I was fortunate enough to be in the presence of a large group of extraordinary people.
Some of you might remember a post from earlier this year in which I described the tragic events in the lives of my dear friend Linda Thibodeau and her step-mother Twinkle Rudberg, leading to the establishment of the remarkable LOVE (Leave Out ViolencE) organization.
Here's this Friday's Featured Foto of some of the amazing people who make LOVE happen.
That's Twinkle with the microphone, surrounded by some of the New York youth who have taken to the program and made it a viable alternative to violently striking out at the people and places around them. These are kids looking for ways to make their lives amount to something other than a shocking headline or anonymous statistic. Using pens and cameras, they're expressing themselves creatively not antisocially.
Last evening in New York, LOVE's annual fund-raising photography event honored entrepreneur Richard Kirschenbaum, co-founder of the leading-edge advertising agency, kirschenbaum bond + partners. Richard has provided wide-ranging support to LOVE since its initial foray outside Canada in New York in 2004. Here's Richard accepting an award from Linda Thibodeau on behalf of LOVE.
Richard's remarks highlighted today's creative opportunities for young people from economically deprived areas. In a world awash in watered-down copies, young people from tough backgrounds are becoming pacesetters in music, fashion, art and design.
With the help of LOVE and groups like it, more kids will get a chance to express themselves and take advantage of those opportunities.
In the months ahead, expect to hear a lot more about the exciting things going on at LOVE.
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