San Diego 24th Annual Gala and
Auction : 2.24.07
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any photo as an ecard to your friends!
On February 24, 2007, patrons from all parts of
Southern California gathered in San Diego at The
Manchester Grand Hyatt for the 24th Annual American
Ireland Fund Gala and Auction.
This year’s celebration started with a cocktail
reception and silent auction featuring fine wines
and jewelry, travel packages and sports memorabilia. The
In Case Trio, always a popular addition to the party,
serenaded the guests as they made their bids.
William D. Lynch received the Robert A. MacNamara
Literary & Arts Award for his support and contribution
to childhood literacy programs. Senator George
J. Mitchell was honored with The Heritage Award in
recognition of his years of work negotiating the
peace process in Northern Ireland.
Before the awards, Betsy Manchester, last year’s
Heritage Award honoree, outlined The Ireland Funds' $1
million plan to provide a new school building for Rowallane
Integrated College in Northern Ireland,
where children from both communities are brought
together to learn in a non-sectarian environment.
The
Three Irish Tenors, Ciaran Nagle,
Tony Norton and Simon Morgan, sang and received
a standing ovation. Because of scheduling, two
of the tenors arrived a week ahead of the event
and were graciously hosted by Chairman John Clark
and John & Cathy Lynch.
The
Heroes, a favorite San Diego band,
played for dancing until midnight. The night
owls among the guesta later enjoyed an after-party
sing along, presided over by The In Case Trio.
Photos
1. Senator George J. Mitchell and J. Terrence
O'Malley
2. Chairman John Clark, Michael J. Reidy, honoree
William D. Lynch, Chairman Chuck Lemoine
3. Ruth Mulvaney, Sr. MaryJo Anderson, Jim Mulvaney, Sr. JoCeal Young
4. Roger & Gail King
5. Sherry Bahrambeygui & Pat Hosey
6. Chairman John Clark, Honorees William D. Lynch & Senator George J. Mitchell
and Chairman Chuck Lemoine
7. Dottie & Chuck Hansen
8. The 3 Irish Tenors, Tony Norton, Ciaran Nagle & Simon Morton
9. Lynelle Lynch and Ciaran Nagle
10. The University of San Diego Kappa Kappa Gamma Volunteers.
11. GarySage, Amy Ziarko, Colin Sage, Maureen Sage
12. Mike Neil, Ron Blair & Sheriff Bill Kolender
Senator
George J. Mitchell |
Bail ó Dhia
ar an obair (God bless the work)
Blessed are the
leaders. Some men, deservedly or not,
are born into positions of leadership by
virtue of lofty family standing. Such was
not the case with Senator George Mitchell.
His father George was a day laborer at
Colby College and his mother Mary Saad
was a textile worker who immigrated to
the United States from Lebanon at the age
of 18.
Blessed are the learned
who apply their knowledge. Senator Mitchell
graduated from Bowdoin College in 1954. In
1961, he received his law degree from Georgetown
Law School- he has since received an honorary
LL.D. from Bates College. He served as trial
attorney for the Antitrust Division of the
United States Department of Justice in Washington,
1960-1962, and then as executive assistant
to Senator Edmund S. Muskie 1962-1965. Mitchell
practiced law in Portland, Maine, 1965-1977
and was assistant county attorney for Cumberland
County, Maine in 1971.
Blessed are the politicians
who seek the common good. Mitchell served
as a federal judge until he was appointed
to the United States Senate in May 1980 by
the governor of Maine, Joseph Brennan, when
Edmund Muskie resigned to become U.S. Secretary
of State. He was elected to a full term in
the Senate in 1982, reelected in 1988 and
did not run for reelection in 1994. He rose
quickly in the Senate Democratic leadership,
serving as Deputy President Pro Tempore from
1987 to 1988. He then served as Senate Majority
Leader from 1989 to 1995. In 1994, President
Bill Clinton offered him a seat on the Supreme
Court. He declined, citing his desire to
focus on the health-care plan that was before
the Senate.
Blessed are the peacemakers. Since
1995, Senator Mitchell has been active in the
Northern Ireland peace process as U.S. Special
Envoy to Northern Ireland. Mitchell first led
a commission which established the principles
on non-violence to which all parties in Northern
Ireland had to adhere and subsequently chaired
the all-party peace negotiations which led
to the Belfast Peace Agreement signed on Good
Friday 1998. Mitchell’s personal intervention
with the parties was crucial to the success
of the talks. He was succeeded as special envoy
by Richard Hass. Since 2002, Mitchell has been
a senior Fellow and Senior Research Scholar
at the Columbia University Center for International
Conflict Resolution, where he works to help
end or avert conflicts between nations.
Blessed is Senator
George J. Mitchell for all he has done
to further peace, education and understanding.
For these and many more reasons, the San
Diego Chapter of The American Ireland Fund
takes great pride in bestowing upon him the
2007 Heritage Award
|
| William
D. Lynch |
| He’s
still got game.
The scene was the back
lot at the Lynch manse. A ten-year-old lad
was shooting hoops with a somewhat older gentleman.
The lad shot, missed and the rebound went to
the top of the key. Bill Lynch took it on one
bounce, dribbled once and drained a three-point
jumper. His grandson cheered.
Kids have been cheering
Bill Lynch for a long time. He has been a champion
of the younger set, especially since organizing
the William D. Lynch Foundation in 1989. The
Foundation underwrites research and funding
for children’s causes such as the Reading
Recovery Council of North America. The program
is now in every state and in over 8,000 schools
in the U.S. Reading Recovery training is provided
in 22 universities, including San Diego State
University. Reading Recovery is the most effective
early intervention reading program targeting
at risk first graders by utilizing specially
trained public school teachers who work with
the lowest 20% of first graders. After an intense
one-on-one program (30 minutes per day, for
an average of 15 weeks) 80% of these students
are at, or above, the average of their class
reading level. The Lynch Foundation also awards
scholarships and provides other support for
the training of public school teachers in the
Reading Recovery program.
The National Even Start
Association was founded in 1998 through a grant
from the William D. Lynch Foundation for children.
Even Start Family Literacy Programs are school-community
partnerships that help break the cycle of poverty
and illiteracy by integrating early childhood
education, adult literacy or adult basic education,
as well as parenting education into a unified
family literacy program. Even Start is implemented
nationally through cooperative projects that
build on high-quality existing community resources,
creating a new range of services for children,
families and adults.
In addition to helping
kids, Bill has also served his community, most
recently serving on the Board of Directors
of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority.
He has been recognized for his community service
by many groups including: San Diego Friendly
Sons of Saint Patrick, “Irishman Of The
Year” 1995; San Diego Lions Club Fletcher
Award 2003; San Diego Nice Guys “Man
of the Year” 2003; International Reading
Association and Greater San Diego Reading Association’s
Celebrate Literacy Award; SANDAPP-Collaborative
Spirits Award; Children’s Hospital and
San Diego County Office of Education- Champion
for Children Award; University of Iowa College
of Business Administration Special Support
Award; and Reading Recovery Council of North
America- Teacher Leader Award.
Yes, William D. Lynch
still has game, as the kids say, and the San
Diego chapter of The American Ireland Fund
is proud to bestow upon him the 2007 Robert
A. MacNamara Literary and Arts Award.
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