Stone Soup - New Press Release

Oakland Debuts Nationwide Campaign to
Celebrate Local Heroes

Mayor Brown to Honor Oakland Fire Captain Ray Gatchalian
and Oakland Teen Heroes at Nov. 1 Event
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Oct. 28, 2002 -- Oakland's "everyday heroes" will be honored by Mayor Jerry Brown at a Nov. 1 event that kicks off the Celebration of Heroes Campaign, a nationwide youth and community leadership initiative.

Press Conference Speakers - September, 2002

Press Conference with Oakland Superintendent and Stone Soup Leadership Institute - September, 2002

Mayor Brown will present the Stone Soup Community Hero Award to Oakland fire captain Ray Gatchalian, who is well-known in the community for his work as a youth advocate. Gatchalian will then present awards to the winners of the Young Heroes in Oakland Contest . The contest was announced at a Sept. 11 news conference at Oakland's Fremont High School.

"Everyone in Oakland can be a hero," said Jabarri Taylor, a Media Academy student at Fremont High. "Heroes don't start by saving someone's life. They start by making a change. We want to make a change in Oakland."

The Stone Soup Leadership Institute's Celebration of Heroes Campaign is a national call-to-action to inspire people to be heroes by helping others. "The campaign honors everyday heroes, passes on their legacy and ignites the heroic spirit in people around the world," said Marianne Larned, executive director. The Stone Soup Leadership Institute will present awards in Oakland (Nov.1), Los Angeles (Nov. 2) and New York (Nov. 13) to honor everyday heroes featured in the book "Stone Soup for the World: Life-Changing Stories of Everyday Heroes" (Random House 2002).

"We are honored that Oakland is the first city to host this campaign," said Dennis K. Chaconas, superintendent of Oakland Unified School District, who will open the Nov. 1 event. "This is an opportunity to recognize some of the numerous young heroes in Oakland. Their example inspires all of us to work even harder for a better future for our city and our country."

Students at Fremont High's Media Academy are using the "Stone Soup for the World" educational curriculum to learn about local heroes, and are helping to produce a video on Oakland and its heroes that premieres at the Nov. 1 event.

"Now more than ever, our young people need to believe that one person can make a difference -- that they can make a difference," said Michael Jackson, a teacher at the Media Academy at Fremont High. "This project inspires my students and gives them hands-on experience: finding, showcasing, and becoming heroes in their own community. Together we will stop the violence and build a better world."

The Celebration of Heroes event will be held 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m on Friday, Nov. 1 at the Fremont High auditorium at 4610 Foothill Blvd in Oakland. Wendy Tokuda, television station KRON anchor, will be the master of ceremonies. The event will feature musical entertainment from SoVoSo, an a cappella hip-hop group; an original performance with Oakland's Destiny Arts Youth Performance Company; and the premiere of a TV hero report featuring Gatchalian, the first in a series of reports with Walter Cronkite.

For more information and to schedule interviews with Larned, Gatchalian or the winners of the Young Heroes in Oakland Contest, contact Larned at (415) 646-0416.

About the Stone Soup Leadership Institute
The Stone Soup Leadership Institute is a 501 (c3) educational organization that develops tools, programs and events that honor everyday heroes and train future and emerging leaders to work together to build a better world. Pilot-tested by the YMCA of the USA, the Stone Soup for the World educational curriculum is used in 120 communities to teach young people to develop their language arts, social studies and leadership skills.

Founded in 1997, the institute moved to the Bay Area in 2001 . The first Celebration of Heroes event, an "Academy Awards of Service" with Walter Cronkite, was held in Oak Bluffs, Mass., in July 2000. The Celebration of Heroes event in Oakland is the first step in a multi-year multicultural youth and community leadership initiative. For more information on the institute, watch the video with Walter Cronkite by visiting www.soup4world.com/video/videohome.html

About Ray Gatchalian
Ray Gatchalian recently retired after 28 years of service with the Oakland Fire Department. He has dedicated his life to helping young people be the best they can be. Gatchalian has worked with Mayor Jerry Brown, Alameda County Schools, and Juvenile Hall programs, California Association of Peer Programs and California Wellness Foundation's Violence Prevention Initiative.

Contact: Marianne Larned
Stone Soup Leadership Institute
Telephone: 415.646.0416
E-mail: soup4world@aol.com

Oakland Debuts Nationwide Campaign to Celebrate Local Heroes

Oakland Debuts Nationwide Campaign to
Celebrate Local Heroes