Irish Memorial Receives $60,000 Grant: Annual Ceremony On March 17; 5k Run On April...

Irish Memorial Receives $60,000 Grant: Annual Ceremony On March 17; 5k Run On
April 6

PHILADELPHIA, March 15 /PRNewswire/ -- John J. Egan, Jr., President of the
Board of Directors of City Trusts, will present the first $20,000 installment
of a three-year $60,000 grant to Irish Memorial Board President John Donovan.
Mr. Egan will be joined by fellow City Trusts Board members M. W. Baehr and
PhiladelphiaMayor Michael Nutter at the annual public ceremony.
"The Irish Memorial is a living monument to the tribulations of Irish
immigrants in the 1850s and all immigrants in years before and since," said
Egan. "The Irish immigrants left Ireland to flee starvation. They came here
without resources, facing marginalization and discrimination, just as today's
immigrants who flee oppression and starvation around the world."
"This grant will help educate the public about the discrimination still
facing immigrants and the profound role immigrants played in building and
revitalizing America," said Egan.
In 2003, a successful campaign accomplished creating and installing the
Memorial. Maintenance and education remained two distinct challenges.
"Maintenance, including cleaning, can run in excess of $5,000 annually,"
said John Donovan. "The Memorial teaches that while Ireland did suffer a
potato famine in the mid-1800s, the Irish died and emigrated as victims of a
systematic starvation."
Donovan hopes to add special web site content, educational brochures and
guided tours of Glenna Goodacre's renowned sculpture for schoolchildren and
visitors.
Proceeds from the seventh annual Irish Memorial 5K Run to be held Sunday,
April 6, at 8:30 a.m., will also benefit the Memorial. Race registration
starts at 7 a.m. and runners can pre-register at www.active.com.
The Board of Directors of City Trusts was established in 1869. For more
information, visit www.citytrusts.com
For more information on the Irish Memorial, visit www.irishmemorial.org

WHO: Hon. Michael Nutter, Mayor of Philadelphia; Most Reverend Joseph P.
McFadden, John J. Egan, Jr., President, Board of City Trusts, CBS
TV 3 anchor, Larry Mendte; Irish Memorial Board Members; Irish
singers Timmy Kelly and Theresa Flanagan; Emerald Society Pipe
Band; McDade Irish Dancers; Irish American community members

WHAT: Annual public ceremony, planting of shamrocks and wreath-laying

WHERE: The Irish Memorial
Front & Chestnut Streets
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

WHEN: Monday, March 17, 2008
10:00 - 11:00 a.m.

WHY: More than 44 million Americans claim Irish heritage. The Irish
Memorial celebrates Irish heritage and their contributions to
America.

SOURCE The Irish Memorial

Bonnie Grant, +1-215-290-0382, bonmiksha@aol.com, or Jane Stojak,
+1-215-760-0230, janestojak@comcast.net, both for The Irish Memorial