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News
August 1, 2007 MassMutual To Sponsor Disability Awareness Night at Joe Riley Stadium Honors contributions made by, and on behalf of, 54 million Americans with disabilities Charleston – The cause of people with disabilities will take center stage August 21st when Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual), in cooperation with Exceptional Parent Magazine and The South Carolina Agency, sponsors Disability Awareness Night at Joe Riley Stadium. In addition to honoring local champions of the national awareness campaign to bring attention to the 54 million Americans with disabilities and special needs, the event will provide an opportunity for many clients and staff of local disability organizations to attend the ballgame, thanks to free tickets donated by Exceptional Parent and The South Carolina Agency of MassMutual. Disability Awareness Night honors the contributions of 54 million Americans with disabilities, their families and caregivers. This year we have a very special guest joining us. We are honoring Coach Ray Tanner with the EP Maxwell J. Schleifer Distinguished Service Award from MassMutual’s The South Carolina Agency at a pre-game ceremony at home plate. Ray Tanner is going on his 11th year as head coach of The University of South Carolina baseball team. He is chairman of the Ray Tanner Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to the betterment of economically and medically disadvantaged children and their families. The Foundation was started in 2005 by Tanner in his wife. The Foundation gave $30,000 in grants in its first year of existence. They are raising money through the sale of “Ray of Hope” wristbands to build a Miracle League baseball field in the Columbia, SC area. The field is specially designed for children with disabilities and will give them a chance of playing baseball. “Given MassMutual’s longtime support of people with disabilities and other special needs and their families, we are extremely proud to be calling attention to their cause through our sponsorship and participation in the Disability Awareness Night program,” said Nick Gavalas, General Agent, The South Carolina Agency, and Co-Founder of the Gavalas-Kolanko Foundation, a public charity established to help students with disabilities reach their secondary educational goals. “MassMutual’s SpecialCare SM program helps parents and caregivers effectively integrate financial analysis into a thorough, customized life plan for individuals with special needs. Our goal, and the goal of those we will honor, is to help people with disabilities to live dignified and fulfilling lives.” The EP Maxwell J. Schleifer Distinguished Service Award is named for the late founder and former editor-in-chief of Exceptional Parent who was an advocate for people with disabilities and other special needs. Exceptional Parent is the nation’s oldest and most widely read and referred to publication of its kind, reaching a wide audience of physicians, nurses, therapists, teachers and families involved in the care and development of children and adults with disabilities and special health care needs. This year marks the sixth year of Exceptional Parent’s Disability Awareness Night (DAN) program, which began in 2002 with the cooperation of the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. Since then, many professional ball clubs have joined the unique, emotional and powerful program of recognition and awareness. About MassMutual Financial Group About Exceptional Parent Based in Johnstown Pennsylvania, 36-year-old EP Global Communications, Inc. is an integrated communications company providing information for families and professionals involved in the care and development of people with disabilities and special healthcare needs. EP uses a multi-media approach to disseminate information via: its publication, Exceptional Parent; Web site (http://www.eparent.com); custom communications projects; the EP Library of disability books; live and on-line seminars and community outreach programs such as the national Disability Awareness Night (DAN) campaign developed through the EP Foundation for Education, a 501(C)3 company. Exceptional Parent Magazine has received many prestigious awards, including the 2000, 2001 and 2003 FOLIO: Gold Medal Awards for editorial excellence; and the New Freedom Award for Best Magazine & Web site in 2003 from the New Freedom Foundation. EP Global Communications, Inc. is not an affiliate or subsidiary of MassMutual and its affiliates. October 25, 2002 For Immediate Release For more information, please contact: Ellen Dawson, Director of Media & Public Relations Tel: (843) 442-5628 Fax: (843) 577-3628 Email: ellen@gkfoundation.org 4TH ANNUAL JAMES ISLAND CONNECTOR RUN TO BENEFIT
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES # # # July 9, 2002 For more information, please contact: GAVALAS KOLANKO FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES 2002 SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS Charleston, SC – The Gavalas Kolanko Foundation, in association with the College of Charleston, is pleased to announce Marjorie “Taylor” Elliott and Brandon Wilson as winners of the 2002 Gavalas Kolanko Foundation Scholarships. “We are very pleased with the outstanding public support our foundation has been receiving,” said Nick Gavalas, co-founder of the Gavalas Kolanko Foundation. “As a result, we are able to award two scholarships this year for two deserving students.” The Gavalas Kolanko Foundation (GKF) is a public charity established to help students with disabilities reach their secondary educational goals. Nicholas B. Gavalas and Dr. Ronald Kolanko established the Gavalas Kolanko Foundation in 1999 after becoming aware of the costly requirements for students with disabilities wishing to attend college. By awarding scholarship assistance to College of Charleston students each year, the GKF helps make “Education Within Reach” for South Carolina students pursuing a college education despite physical limitations. To qualify, a student must be hearing, sight, or physically impaired. Elliott, who was also the 2001 GKF Scholarship recipient said, “I am so pleased to have been invited to be part of the Gavalas Kolanko Foundation family again this year. I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of such a wonderful organization that seeks to aid all students in their dreams of higher education.” “It is an honor to receive a scholarship from Gavalas Kolanko Foundation, and I would like to thank the selection committee for choosing me as one of the recipients,” said Wilson, of Goose Creek, SC. “I have great respect for the foundation for recognizing physically disabled students who plan to pursue their educational goals.” Marjorie “Taylor” Elliott is a senior at the College of Charleston majoring in Corporate Communications. She is active at the College as a member of the Honors Program, the Student Government Association, and is employed at the College of Charleston’s Center for Disability Services. Taylor has completed over 150 hours of community service, including work with the Charles Webb Center and the Disabilities Board of Charleston County. She is a 1999 graduate of Wando High School in Mt. Pleasant, SC. Brandon Wilson is a junior at the College of Charleston pursuing a career in computer science. He graduated in 2000 from Stratford High School in Goose Creek, SC, where he was a member of the National Honor Society and the Beta Club. Ms. Elliott and Mr. Wilson will receive their $2,000 scholarships at the awards ceremony for the 3rd annual James Island Connector Run on November 2, 2002. The James Island Connector Run is the Foundation’s spotlight event and chief fundraiser. For more information on the Gavalas Kolanko Foundation or the James Island Connector Run, please call (843) 442-5628 or visit the GKF website at www.gkfoundation.org. # # #
Gavalas-Kolanko Foundation and Zonta Foundation of Charleston, Inc. Named Winners of Blue Chip Community Service Awards
Charleston, SC -- MassMutual has awarded a $10,000 grant to TheGavalas-Kolanko Foundation (GKF) and the Zonta Foundation of Charleston,Inc. respectively, on behalf of Nicholas B. Gavalas, General Agent of MassMutual's South Carolina Agency. Gavalas was presented with two of the eight national Blue Chip Community Service Awards at the MassMutual Leader's Club Convention in July. The Awards recognize and financially support the volunteer work of MassMutual's general agents, agents, and agency employees. "We were honored to receive this national recognition for our local charities," said Gavalas. "The awards will help two of Charleston's newest charities reach their goals, and we are both thankful to MassMutual's corporate office." Gavalas and Dr. Ronald Kolanko came together to form the Gavalas-Kolanko Foundation (GKF) in 1999 after becoming aware of the costs for students with disabilities wishing to attend college. The GKF awards scholarship assistance to one College of Charleston student each year to help make "Education Within Reach." The Zonta Foundation of Charleston, Inc. is an affiliate of Zonta International, a worldwide service organization of executives in business and the professions working together to advance the status of women. "We are grateful to MassMutual for the opportunity to use this grant to further the cause of Zonta," said Debra Turner, President of the Zonta Foundation of Charleston, Inc. "These funds will enable us to have an impact on many lives, both through Zonta International's service projects and locally in the tri-county area." Founded in 1919, Zonta is committed to women's development, education and leadership. MassMutual's South Carolina Agency is comprised of career agents and brokers in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Ohio. Led by General Agent Nicholas B. Gavalas, The South Carolina Agency is among the highest-rated of MassMutual's national agencies. The MassMutual Financial Group is a global, diversified financial services organization with more than $200 billion in total assets under management. Our family of companies serves the needs of over eight million clients by providing a broad-based portfolio of financial products and services, including: investments, annuities, disability income insurance, life insurance, retirement services/401(k) plans, trust services and long-term care insurance. The MassMutual Financial Group includes Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual), plus its subsidiaries. We have sales offices across the United States, and international operations in Argentina, Bermuda, Chile, Hong Kong and Luxembourg. MassMutual is a member of the Fortune 500 and Fortune Global 500, and, according to Fortune Magazine, is one of the most admired life insurance companies in America. |
