Last summer, Sierra Coulthard’s life changed forever.
She spent a week identifying her strengths and discovering who she was. She learned what it takes to be a leader and how leaders can change lives. And the Wisconsin high school student realized just how real and rampant poverty is in the world today.
“My eyes were opened to so many troubles in the world,“ she said. “I saw how real the needs of people are and I wanted to do something to help.”
Coulthard returned home and immediately connected with Nashville-based Soles4Souls, which since 2005 has secured more than 17 million new and gently used shoes for people throughout the world. The charity shipped her a large supply of new shoe boxes that she placed throughout her home town of Neillsville to encourage donations. Nearly 1,000 pairs of shoes were donated to the “Sierra’s Shoes” drive.
And last month, she was able to travel to Haiti and pass them out to deserving children who needed them.
Coulthard’s vision for the drive was developed at the National FFA Organization’s annual Washington Leadership Conference, which focuses on leadership development, personal growth and community service. More than 2,200 students – up to 340 a week – from throughout the U.S. who are FFA members will attend one of the conference’s seven week-long sessions in June and July.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/56306-2012-national-ffa-organization-washington-student-leadership-conference
ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, and Green, one of the top information and communications technology (ITC) service providers in Switzerland, today announced the official opening of Green’s new Zurich-West data center expansion based on direct current (DC) technology.
Green’s facility, which employs HVDC-capable HP servers, is the most powerful application of DC in a data center to date. Performance tests showed that Green’s new power distribution system is 10 percent more efficient than for comparable alternating current (AC) technology. In addition, investment costs for the system were 15 percent lower than for an AC system.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/prne/abb/53827/
Six Flags St. Louis debuted the new Bonzai Pipeline water slide today with the help of four couples who took the Xtreme plunge by riding the park’s first looping body slide to feature dual launching capsules, while exchanging their wedding vows. The Bonzai Pipeline water slide is located in Hurricane Harbor, Missouri’s only free water park with theme park admission.
The four couples who took their wedding vows were winners of a local contest. Each couple exchanged vows at the top of the structure and was pronounced husband and wife as they splashed down at the end of the slide.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/56372-six-flags-st-louis-new-ride-bonzai-pipeline-water-slide
Living Proof, founded by bio-medical scientists with the sole mission to engineer solutions to the world’s toughest beauty problems, has created a breakthrough solution for dry, damaged hair – Restore. To prove that you can undo the damage and transform your hair in just 14 days with Restore, Living Proof is kicking off a campaign asking women to embark on a 14-Day “Restore the Love” Challenge on Facebook with a chance to win a Canyon Ranch Vacation.
To begin their campaign to restore as many women’s hair as possible, Living Proof brought a “Restore the Love” Bus to New York City this past weekend (May 18 – 20) to encourage women to get on board the Restore 14-Day Challenge. This one-of-a-kind experience featured hair consultations with celebrity hair stylist and Living Proof Creative Director Tim Rogers, founding hair stylist Mitch De Rosa, and Living Proof’s elite group of scientists. Throughout the weekend, women were encouraged to restore the love for their hair and prove that they can undo the damage and transform hair in just two weeks.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/56350-living-proof-restore-the-love-challenge
Thirty Elvis impersonators clad in white and red jumpsuits were the first riders to take to the skies this morning on Six Flags Great Adventure’s new, extreme swing ride, the 24-story SkyScreamer.
SkyScreamer is the cornerstone of the park’s newly-themed Adventure Alley, which offers guests a retro vibe and classic thrill attractions including Déjà Vu, a music-themed scrambler and Air Jumbo featuring whimsical flying elephants. New bumper cars, Fender Benders, will open in Adventure Alley in June.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/55636-six-flags-great-adventure-skyscreamer-new-swing-ride-in-adventure-alley
A pill designed to zero in on abnormal genes that drive specific cancers has produced encouraging early results in children with an uncommon but aggressive type of lymphoma, as well as in children with a rare form of neuroblastoma.
A phase 1 clinical trial of the drug crizotinib achieved remissions, with minimal side effects, for 10 of the children participating in a clinical study carried out by the multicenter Children’s Oncology Group (COG). The results were “an exciting proof-of-principle” for the targeted treatment, said the study leader, Yaël P. Mossé, M.D., a pediatric oncologist at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
“We are entering a new era of cancer therapy, in which we use knowledge of basic biology to design very specific drugs that target cancer cells with potentially less side effects on healthy tissue,” said Mossé. “In addition, as we concentrate on targets in molecular pathways, we move away from an exclusive focus on one form of cancer to customizing treatments according to biological activity. Abnormal ALK activity occurs in subtypes of neuroblastoma and subtypes of lymphoma, so identifying ALK activity in individual patients may enable us to provide the most effective care.”
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/50776-childrens-hospital-philadelphia-lymphoma-neuroblastoma-oncology-gene-trial
Longines, the Swiss watchmaker, was the Official Watch and Timekeeper of the 138th annual Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. As the Official Timekeeper of the Derby, Longines had a strong presence at Churchill Downs and other Derby affiliated events.
Chronograph watches from the new Longines Saint-Imier Collection, named after the company’s birthplace, were ceremoniously awarded to I’ll Have Another’s winning owner J. Paul Reddam, trainer Doug O’Neill, and jockey Mario Gutierrez by Jennifer Judkins, U.S. Brand President for Longines, and Juan-Carlos Capelli, Vice President and Head of International Marketing for Longines at the exclusive Winner’s Party on Saturday, May 5th to celebrate the “timely” victory of 2:01:83 by the triumphant thoroughbred.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/55858-longines-official-watch-timekeeper-of-kentucky-derby
In the 2011/2012 vacation season, Riu Hotels & Resorts will open four new hotels in Mexico, Caribbean and Costa Rica and overhaul four more. Riu Hotels & Resorts is one of Apple Vacations’ most popular hotel chains. In 2011, 10 Riu Hotels in Mexico, the Caribbean and Costa Rica were awarded the Golden Apple Award for exceptional service, quality and value, as rated by Apple Vacations’ customers.
“Apple Vacations has had a long and successful partnership with Riu Hotels,” said Sandy Babin, Apple Vacations’ Vice President of Marketing. “Since 1998, Apple Vacationers have enjoyed Riu Resorts, referred their friends and returned time and again to experience Riu’s exceptional service and consistency.”
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/55585-apple-vacations-riu-hotels-and-resorts
Sydney Fialkow, 10, and her mother Stacy, 41, of Atlanta were named the grand prize winners of the Ben’s Beginners™ Cooking Contest. The playful nationwide competition, sponsored by the UNCLE BEN’S® Brand, the number-one selling brand of rice in the United States, was designed to empower and encourage parents to connect with their kids one meal at a time.
Sydney Fialkow was selected from a field of more than 700 contestants (ages 5-12) who videotaped themselves preparing a kid-friendly rice dish and discussing the experience of cooking with their parents. The contestants were narrowed to four finalists, from which the Fialkows were selected as the grand prize winners. The Fialkow family has won a $20,000 cash prize and a $50,000 cafeteria makeover for The Epstein School, located in Sandy Springs, Ga., where Sydney attends as a fourth grade student.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/55947-uncle-ben-s-awards-cash-prize-in-ben-s-beginners-cooking-contest
Saving lives by providing incentives for routine medical screenings for its U.S. employees, establishing the first charitable nonpublic foundation by a multinational company in China, building homes for underprivileged families in Latin America and conserving energy around the world were among the key efforts by Amway employees and distributors to make the world a better place.
These and dozens of other examples of commitment to corporate responsibility and environmental stewardship are highlighted in the 2011 Amway Global Corporate Citizenship Report published today.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/55861-amway-2011-global-report-nutrilite-little-bits-micronutrients-zambia-china