Cleveland Orchestra and the GCP in cooperation with City of Cleveland announce winners of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Awards

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Award recognizes an individual and a business or organization that have positively impacted Cleveland in the spirit of the teachings and example of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Presentation by the City of Cleveland to take place at The Cleveland Orchestra's 28th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Concert on Sunday, January 20, 2008

CLEVELAND, January 16, 2008 - The Cleveland Orchestra and the Greater Cleveland Partnership, in cooperation with the City of Cleveland, today announced the recipients of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Award, which recognizes an individual and a business or organization that have positively impacted Cleveland in the spirit of the teachings and example of Dr. King.  Norma Harko will receive the award for an individual, and The Cleveland Cavaliers will receive the award honoring a business or organization.  This year, the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Award Committee launched a new award category to recognize a young person.  This youth award joins the adult individual and organization award.  This year's youth award is being given to Kevin Hatcher.  The recipients will be honored at the Orchestra's 28th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Concert on Sunday, January 20, 2008.  Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and Ward 9 Councilman Kevin Conwell will present the awards.

Norma Harko's twice-weekly chemotherapy sessions do not slow down this Slavic Village dynamo.  A beloved mother, grandmother and friend, Norma is a long-time church volunteer and active member of The Red Hat Ladies and The Handicapped Society.  For many people, this would be enough - a full and productive life.  But not for Norma.  Twelve years ago, she started the Warner Turner Neighborhood Association, and she continues to lend her leadership and guidance to the association today.  The WTNO hosts several community-building activities annually, including the "Party in the Park," a summer party for kids in the neighborhood and an annual ice cream social at Mill Creek Falls.  For the past few years, WTNO has hosted a fall festival where children can safely dress up and celebrate Halloween.  Every Thanksgiving, Norma leads the residents in a collection and puts together 300 large food baskets for those in need.  She was also instrumental in the rebuilding of Warner School.  More than what she does, though, is those that she inspires.  Others saw the commitment Norma was making in the community and were inspired to action by her selflessness.  Block clubs were formed by other members of the neighborhood and grassroots change was made throughout the community.

The Cleveland Cavaliers, nominated by the Cleveland Chapter of the National Association of Black Sports Professionals (NABSP), are being recognized for being an incubator in the development of the NABSP and for promoting diversity within the business of sports, both in Northeast Ohio and nationwide.  A leader in the professional sports world, the Cavaliers have shown a commitment to diversity that is evident in their hiring practices as well as in their community outreach efforts.  From on-site programs and player appearances, The Cleveland Cavaliers strive to uplift and motivate African-American youth, schools and community organizations.  And, since 1993, nearly $20 million has been given philanthropically through The Cavaliers Youth Fund, a supporting fund of the McCormick Tribune Foundation, much of that impacting the health and wellness of the African-American community.

Kevin Hatcher wakes up every day wondering how he can make the world a better place.  Currently a senior at St. Peter Chanel High School in Bedford, Kevin lives on the east side of Cleveland.  He maintains a 3.8 grade point average and was a lineman on the varsity football team.  But Kevin's skills extend beyond academics and athletics.  He is president of the Cleveland Kudos chapter, the junior auxiliary of Phi Delta Kappa, the International Professional Educator's Organization; vice president of RACE (Races All Count Equally), a multicultural student organization at Chanel; and president of the Junior Knights of St. Peter Claver, the largest African-American lay Catholic organization in the country.   In his sophomore year, Kevin participated in the leadership program "Look Up to Cleveland" and he is an active member of Students for Peace and Justice.  His principal has selected him to be a member of Chanel's President's Board.  He somehow manages to also hold a part-time job at the International House of Pancakes in Bedford.  Kevin is headed to college in the fall, where he will pursue a degree in bio-medical engineering. 

Award recipients will receive an engraved award commemorating the recognition, as well as special subscription packages to Cleveland Orchestra concerts at Severance Hall.

Nomination Process
 Members of the Greater Cleveland community submitted nominations through The Cleveland Orchestra and the Greater Cleveland Partnership.  A committee of eight community leaders reviewed the nominations and selected the award recipients.  Committee members are:  Robert P. Madison, chairman and chief executive officer, Robert P. Madison International, Inc., also a trustee of the Musical Arts Association and chair of The Cleveland Orchestra's Community Relations Committee; Collette Appolito, Executive Director, The Presidents' Council; Kevin Conwell, Cleveland City Councilman, Ward 9; Andrew Jackson, Sr., Vice President and  Executive Director, Commission on Economic Inclusion, Greater Cleveland Partnership; Neisha Jackson, Assistant Director, NAACP;  Shana Marbury, General Counsel, Greater Cleveland Partnership; Valarie J. McCall, Chief of Government Affairs, City of Cleveland; and Pamela E. Smith, Chief of Staff, Cleveland Metropolitan School District.

Concert
 The Cleveland Orchestra's 28th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Concert will take place on Sunday, January 20, 2008, at Severance Hall at 7:00 p.m., under the direction of Chelsea Tipton II.  Performing as violin soloist in this year's celebration concert is Sphinx Competition prizewinner Elena Urioste. The Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Chorus and the Central State University Chorus, prepared by William Henry Caldwell, also will participate.  The program will feature music by composers including Ludwig van Beethoven, Roland Carter, William Dawson, George Walker and John Williams, as well as spirituals and gospel songs.  A pre-concert talk, beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the Concert Hall, will be given by James Rose Jr.

Admission to the pre-concert talk and concert are free, but all tickets have been distributed.  For those unable to attend the performance at Severance Hall, the concert will be broadcast live beginning at 7:00 p.m. by radio stations WCLV (104.9 FM), WCPN (90.3 FM), and WNWV (107.3 FM).  The Cleveland Orchestra continues the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration by welcoming the Cleveland community to the 9th annual free Day of Music at Severance Hall on Monday, January 21, 2008 from 12:00 noon - 5:00 pm.  Ensembles performing at Day of Music include the Cleveland School of the Arts Urban Dance Collective, the University of Akron Steel Drum Band, the Cleveland Junior Tamburitzans performing traditional Croatian song and dance, and the North Coast Men's Chorus.  The day will culminate with a performance by the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra and Youth Chorus.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Concert is sponsored by KeyBank, a Cleveland Orchestra Partner in Excellence.  Additional support is provided by The Cleveland Foundation, a Cleveland Orchestra Partner in Excellence.   The musicians of The Cleveland Orchestra donate their services for this concert as a benefit to the Musical Arts Association Sustaining Fund.

The Greater Cleveland Partnership, the primary voice for businesses in Greater Cleveland, seeks to create jobs and wealth, and improve the economic vitality of the region. Its priorities include technology, innovation and high-growth businesses; connected physical development; education and workforce development; and business attraction, retention and expansion. The GCP emphasizes service to its more than 15,500 members; advocacy on behalf of members and the region; diversity and inclusion; and internationalization of the region and its businesses. http://www.gcpartnership.com

Photographers are invited to photograph the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Award presentation and the first 15 minutes of the Orchestra concert on Sunday, January 20.  Please contact The Cleveland Orchestra's Public Relations Department in advance at (216) 231-7492 to confirm your attendance, to make parking arrangements, or to receive more information about the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Concert.

Contact: Kathy Pahr, (216) 231-7492 / Email: kpahr@clevelandorchestra.com

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