So many people worked together to make the event a success, and I would like to thank some of them: first, my wife Helene, Mayor Boughton of Danbury, who introduced our rally, Tim Salem, who has led Danbury High School for over four years to become a beacon of hope for the Darfuri people, and the www.dhsthepromise.com students; Bushara Dosa, the president of the Darfur Peoples Association of New York, and Donna Antash, the co-president of the Cartus Save the Children Committee. I'd like to also thank the other members of that Committee, especially Nancy Anderson-Smith, Annie Sorrells and Rosemary Caluori, as well as Cartus Facilities, in particular Larry Post, and the Cartus Wellness Center's Drew Morten who was available for the entire event in case of a mishap. I would like to offer special thanks to Lynne LeBarron from Save the Children for all of her support and guidance over the past years, to Danbury High School and the other students from the dozen surrounding schools who joined us, and especially Tommy DePaoli and Meghan Gallagher of DHS and Nicole Waterhouse of Newtown High; Danbury Superintendent of Schools Pascarella, the DHS Football Booster Club, Gina Dragone, who is leading the Schaghticoke Middle School students to support us by making and delivering T-Shirts for two years now, our small business and corporate sponsors and everyone else who came.
In particular, I would like to thank Alysha Rashid, Max Delahanty and Sabrina Wirth. These three were students of Tim's who graduated DHS two years ago, came to Cartus to teach us about Darfur and moved the Cartus Save the Children Committee from empathy to action. They, because of their willingness to be the voice of the voiceless, are in large part responsible for the school we are building.
Lastly, I would like to thank the actress and activist Mia Farrow, who came with Alysha Rashid, Max Delahanty, Sabrina Wirth and Tim Salem to Cartus a year and a half ago and opened our eyes with her pictures from Darfur and her personal narrative. I leave you with words from her which are burned forever onto my heart: "With Knowledge Comes Responsibility".
Corporate Sponsors
Uno's Chicago Grill - Danbury Fair Mall
Pepsi - Purchase, NY
Biscotti's Ristorante - New Fairfield, CT
Cafe on the Green - Danbury, CT
Dunkin Donuts - New Fairfield, CT
Ovens of France - Woodbury, CT
Richter Park - Danbury, CT
Shaws - New Fairfield, CT
ShopRite - Brookfield, CT
Starbucks Coffee - New Fairfield, CT
TK's Restaurant - Danbury, CT
Village Flowers - New Fairfield, CT
Thank you.
~Doug D'Jay