The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

The Inside Press

Go Red For Women Luncheon Goes Social

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The American Heart Association announced plans are underway for the first official “Go Red Tweetup Party” at the Go Red For Women Luncheon & Learning Sessions on March 8th at the Hyatt Greenwich.

The tweetup party will be hosted by Kris Ruby, of Ruby Media Group, a full service Public Relations Agency, in Greenwich, Connecticut.

“I was glad to offer my support for this important women’s health initiative. An integrated social media campaign can help spread Go Red For Women’s critical health messages,” she said.

“When I heard that only one in six women still don’t know that heart disease is the number one killer, I was shocked. The power of social media can help share that message to help save lives,” said Ruby.

The objective is to create buzz for the Go Red For Women movement and increase followers to the American Heart Association’s social media properties.

This is the AHA’s first major tweetup party in the region. People can join the party online with the hashtag #WFGoRed on Thursday, March 8th from 11:00am – 1:00pm. Kris Ruby will be reading select tweets at the Luncheon to guest speaker, Food Network Celebrity Chef, Anne Burrell, who will answer the questions live to more than 700 women attendees at the Luncheon.

Ruby Media Group is asking people to join the American Heart Association’s official social media pages at www.twitter.com/hvheartassoc or @HVHeartAssoc and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/americanheartnewyork or in Connecticut at www.facebook.com/heartCT.

Women can learn more about their number one killer – heart disease – by attending the Luncheon. Ticket info is available at http://bit.ly/WFGoRed or by calling 914-640-3268. Women can also learn about their risk and get life-saving prevention information at www.goredforwomen.org.

Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson to Honor Outstanding Area Women at Centennial Gala

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To celebrate the100th Anniversary of the founding of the Girl Scouts, Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson (GSHH) is hosting a Centennial Gala honoring Women of Leadership and Excellence on Thursday, March 15, 2012 at the DoubleTree by Hilton, in Tarrytown, NY.  GSHH will honor women who have distinguished themselves in their fields and are role models for girls striving to become the leaders of tomorrow.

Proceeds from the Gala will provide financial support for program opportunities for thousands of girls throughout the Girl Scout council’s seven-county jurisdiction.
The evening will be hosted by CBS news correspondent Alexis Christoforous and will include live jazz entertainment by Ragan Whiteside and the Fam, as well as a silent auction, a gala dinner, and a special Girl Scout 100th birthday celebration. Christoforous is an Emmy-nominated MoneyWatch correspondent and anchor for CBS Newspath, the affiliate news service, covering business and consumer news. Whiteside is a nationally recognized contemporary jazz songwriter, composer and musician.

Tickets for the Gala, which begins with a reception at 6 p.m., are $175 per person. To become a sponsor, attend the event, purchase a journal ad, or for more information, contact Mary Ellen Hoffman at (914) 747-3080, ext. 739, mhoffman@girlscoutshh.org. In addition to the silent auction that evening, GSHH is currently hosting an online auction featuring a wide variety of items. For more information on the online auction, visit: www.biddingforgood.com/girlscoutshh.  For more information on either auction, contact Monica Spears at (914) 747-3080, ext 765, mspears@girlscoutshh.org.

The Girl Scout council’s Women of Leadership and Excellence honorees include: The Hon. Nita Lowey, U.S Congresswoman, who will be honored for her more than three decades of public service to the citizens of New York State. A graduate of Mount Holyoke College, Lowey has been a member of Congress since 1989.  Prior to running for elected office, she served as Assistant to the New York Secretary of State for Economic Development and Neighborhood Preservation, and as Deputy Director of the New York State Division of Economic Opportunity. She was a Girl Scout in the Bronx.

Actress Vanessa Williams, who will attend if her schedule permits, will be recognized for her work in the arts and entertainment field.  A Westchester native, Williams was a Girl Scout growing up in Chappaqua and has been involved in the performing arts since childhood. She is a world-renowned actress and singer who has played roles in major motion pictures and on Broadway, as well as starring in recurring roles on the popular TV series “Ugly Betty” and “Desperate Housewives”.

Elizabeth Bracken-Thompson, partner in Thompson & Bender, Westchester’s leading public relations/marketing/advertising firm based in Briarcliff Manor, will be honored for her achievements in business entrepreneurship. Bracken-Thompson is responsible for new business, directs the company’s marketing and advertising division and manages a diversified portfolio of accounts for Thompson and Bender. A Girl Scout as a child, she has had an extensive career in marketing and communications over the past 20 years. She is an active member of, and has served in leadership positions for, many professional women’s associations as well as a number of non-profit boards.

The Watson Women of IBM will be honored for their work in developing female leaders in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields at IBM. The Watson Women’s Network (WWN) is a volunteer network at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center. It has as its mission to encourage a workplace environment that advances the professional effectiveness, individual growth, and recognition of all women. Together with partners in research management, human resources and other diversity network groups within IBM, the WWN promotes programs in mentoring, networking, knowledge sharing, recruiting and leadership development, thereby enabling their members reach their full potential in the workplace.

The evening’s fifth honoree will be a Girl Scout designated as a Young Woman of Leadership and Excellence. Yet to be named, the honoree will have demonstrated leadership among her peers and in her community, thus helping to make the world a better place.   [Note: A press area will be available at the Gala for interviews and photos with honorees and special guests.]

In the Gala’s commemorative program, Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson will acknowledge its100th Anniversary sponsors, including: New Directions Consulting; Con Edison; Entergy; TD Bank; SKCG; Third Eye Technologies; Combe, Inc.; Tele-Vue Optics, Inc.; Innovative Esthetics;  and Vikki Pryor of Change Create Transform. The 100th Anniversary lead media sponsor is Optimum and media supporters are MainStreet Connect and Serendipity magazine.

About Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson, Inc.
Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson provides leadership opportunities for over 32,000 girls and more than 15,000 adult volunteers throughout seven counties in southeastern New York State: Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester. Its central   administrative office is in Pleasantville, with regional offices in Middletown, New City, Pleasantville, Kingston and Poughkeepsie. For information about joining, volunteering, or making a   donation to Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson, Inc., contact (914) 747-3080 or visit www.girlscoutshh.org.

Think fit fundraiser to benefit a cure for children’s brain tumors

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The phone rings and it’s one of your closest friends.  You sense that something is not right.  You ask, “Is everything ok?”  It’s a question you have asked hundreds of times.  This time she answers, “No, it’s not.”

If you think a brain tumor is something that happens to someone else’s child, think again.  In October 2008, a six-year-old boy from our community was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a brain tumor.  While it was a shocking diagnosis for his family and friends, each year over 3,000 children in the US are diagnosed with some form of a brain tumor.  Approximately 10% are in the tri-state area.  Unfortunately, this child was not the only child diagnosed with a brain tumor in our area over the past few years.

Currently, pediatric brain tumor research is under-funded and the general public remains unaware of the magnitude of the disease.  Less than 3% of the National Institute of Health’s budget is targeted at childhood cancer research and a minuscule fraction of these funds is budgeted towards research for pediatric brain tumors.  Brain tumors can strike anyone; they do not discriminate based on gender, ethnicity or socio-economic boundaries.

While historically the picture for children battling brain tumors has been bleak, there is good news on the horizon.  Research identifying a mutation in certain tumor tissue promises to afford new answers as to how and why pediatric brain tumors occur.  We can’t ignore the real need for a treatment/cure breakthrough and the possibility that such a breakthrough can be a reality.  Now is the time for us to take action.

Hopefully by now you are asking, “How can I help?”

You can support pediatric brain tumor research while enjoying a day with your family and friends at the 2nd Annual Think Fit For Kids Family Fitness and Fun Festival to Benefit a Children’s Brain Tumor Cure Foundation on Sunday, March 18th from 2-5 pm at Club Fit in Briarcliff Manor, NY. 

Please join us for family spin, yoga, and/or zumba classes or use Club Fit’s state-of-the art fitness facility.  There will also be “Mommy & Me” and games/relays for your kids.  We will conclude the afternoon with our Fun Festival in the gym featuring food, fun and music by ESP Entertainment. Our event is sponsored by many of your favorite local restaurants and merchants*.

Everyone can participate, regardless of age or fitness level.

Last year we raised over $156,000 at our inaugural Think Fit For Kids event and this year our objective is to raise at least $300,000.  While this may seem ambitious, our goal is aggressive because the need is so great!

Join Us and You Can Make a Difference!

For more information, go to www.thinkfitforkids.org and REGISTER/DONATE TODAY!  

Email questions to: Contact@thinkfitforkids.org

*Sponsors include (but are not limited to): Club Fit, World Cup Gymnastics, Quaker Hill Tavern, Ben & Jerry’s of Mt. Kisco, Villarina’s Deli, A&S Fine Foods, Susan Lawrence Gourmet, Rocky’s Deli, Chappaqua Village Market, Gail Patrick’s Cafe, Starlight Dairy, Honest Tea, Nestle, Crystal Rock, Steve Krongard & Jodi Buren Photography, Mt. Kisco Farm, Balloons by Brian, Whispering Pines Florist.

News12 Westchester Honored with 15 Emmy Nominations!

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The New York Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences today honored News 12 Westchester with an outstanding 15 New York Emmy® Award nominations.  The award nominations were announced today at the studios of CUNY-TV in New York City.

“Once again we are very proud of our staff members and our entire team here at News 12 Westchester,” said Janine Rose, News 12 Westchester News Director. “Our multiple Emmy nominations are a strong indication of their talents and abilities.”

The 2012 Emmy® Awards will be presented on Sunday, April 1, 2012 at The Marriott Marquee Times Square in New York City.  The New York Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, founded in 1955, is the preeminent membership organization serving the television industry. NY NATAS encourages the pursuit of excellence and promotes the highest standards of quality in television by conferring the industry’s classic and most-coveted peer-recognition symbol of distinction – the Emmy®.

Jacob Burns Film Center Premieres Film Created By Inmates in Southern Westchester BOCES Incarcerated Youth Program

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World Premiere of “In Waiting” and Q&A with Filmmakers

The Jacob Burns Film Center (JBFC), a cultural arts institution with a dual mission of film and education, announced today the world premiere screening of a film created by students at the Westchester County Jail. The film In Waiting will premiere at the JBFC Theater on Monday, February 27 at 6:30 pm, with a panel discussion following the screening.

In Waiting was created by students in the Southern Westchester BOCES Incarcerated Youth Program (IYP) at the Westchester County Jail. The JBFC spent six months teaching six inmates how to film and edit digital video and helped them produce a narrative film, an adaptation of Israel Horovitz’s seminal play, The Indian Wants the Bronx. The result is a compelling narrative short investigating issues of masculinity in prison today. This project was made possible with support from Westchester County Department of Corrections. Following the screening will be a panel discussion. This event is free and open to the public. Please RSVP by Monday, February 20 to education@burnsfilmcenter.org.

This digital video project was piloted at the Westchester County Jail in the fall of 2008. Previous films created in this program are Judgement, which explores the idea of being judged and judging others; and Look Inside, which chronicles both the day-to-day life experiences of incarceration, and the students’ individual self-reflections.

“It’s been an incredible experience for the JBFC to work with the Incarcerated Youth Program and we are proud to be screening the courageous story the students chose to tell this year” said JBFC Director of Education Programs Emily Keating. “This transformational experience provides the youth with essential 21st century digital literacy skills and gives them a powerful means of expression.”

The Jacob Burns Film Center is a nonprofit cultural arts organization dedicated to presenting the best of independent, documentary, and world cinema; promoting 21st century literacy; and making film a vibrant part of the community. Located on a 47,500 sq. foot, three-building campus in the center of Pleasantville, the JBFC is just 30 miles outside of New York City. Since the opening in 2001, over 1,000,000 people have seen over 4,500 films from more than 40 countries. The campus includes the 27,000 sq. foot Media Arts Lab, the JBFC’s state-of-the-art education center, a creative and educational community for storytellers in the digital age, offering one-time workshops, intensive courses, and weekend programs for children and adults of all ages. To learn more about the Jacob Burns Film Center and Media Arts Lab, visit burnsfilmcenter.org.