Jazz it Up for Everglades Restoration in November

Nancy Marshall, president of the Arthur R. Marshall Foundation, which works for the restoration and preservation of the greater Everglades ecosystem, recently announced that the nonprofit organization will be hosting JAZZ IT UP!: For the Everglades, a combination cocktail party, dinner and jazz concert on Sunday, November 8, starting at 5 p.m.  The fun and festive event will be held at the original Wellington Mall, located on the corner of Forest Hill Blvd. and Wellington Trace.

A fundraiser for the Marshall Foundation’s Everglades educational programs, JAZZ IT UP! highlights will include:

Champion of the Everglades Awards
The second annual Everglades Champion Awards will be presented in three categories:  Elected Official, Individual and Organization.  The 2008 recipients were Florida Governor Charlie Crist, environmental philanthropist Mary Barley and the South Florida Water Management District.  This year’s three Champion of the Everglades award winners will be announced in a couple of months.

Musical Performances by Copeland Davis & Matt Savage
Pianist Copeland Davis earned a standing ovation following his first performance on NBC’s Tonight Show, and later made memorable appearances on Good Morning America and his own PBS special. With his gospel roots and classical training, Davis has earned worldwide acclaim as a jazz innovator who has been strongly influenced by Beethoven. As one music critic declared, Copeland Davis “is a special person. He captivates the audience when he plays. He makes it fun. He has phenomenal technique on the piano. He combines mechanical proficiency with spontaneous artistic creativity. Davis can explore the possibilities of any number of tunes, while still remaining in the boundaries of tight musicianship.”

Born in 1992, Matthew “Matt” Savage was diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder, a form of autism, at age three. By age six, he had taught himself to read piano music. After studying classical piano for less than a year,  he discovered jazz, which became his main focus. An accomplished musician and composer, Matt has released several albums, both as a solo performer and as part of the Matt Savage Trio. He has performed with Chaka Khan and other popular singers, and has received numerous awards, including being signed in 2003 to Bösendorfer pianos, the only child to be so recognized in the company’s 175-year history. Matt has toured the world, performing for heads of state and even headlining at Carnegie Hall. His numerous broadcast appearances include The Today Show, The Late Show with Dave Letterman, The View  and NPR’s All Things Considered.

“Holding a successful annual fundraiser is vital to the support of the Marshall Foundation’s grassroots environmental education programs that serve thousands of families every year,” said Marshall. “Architect Frank Lloyd Wright once declared, ‘Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.’ At the Marshall Foundation, we want to help every student in our community to connect with nature. They will make the difference because they are our future!”

Jess & Victoria Santamaria are serving as Grand Benefactors of JAZZ IT UP!, with  longtime cultural philanthropists Sydelle Meyer and Joyce McLendon as Honorary Chairs, and Roberta Drey as event Chair.

“JAZZ IT UP! is actually replacing the Marshall Foundation’s annual River of Grass Gala,” said Marshall. “During these tough economic times, we wanted our major fundraiser to be a bit less glitzy and a lot more fun. We are deeply grateful to County Commissioner Jess Santamaria for generously underwriting this vital event.”

“It is also most appropriate that the Marshall Foundation will be hosting our biggest annual fundraiser in Wellington, just a short distance from the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, which is expected to unveil its new state-of-the-art exhibits and interactive displays just a few weeks prior to JAZZ IT UP!,” added Marshall.  Certainly those who live closest to the Everglades have proven to be some of the biggest supporters of preserving and restoring our historic River of Grass.”

Tickets for the Marshall Foundation’s JAZZ IT UP! For the Everglades are $125 per person or $1,250 for a table of 10.  For more information or to purchase tickets, please call 561.805.TREE (8733) or visit www.artmarshall.org.

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Posted by admin on Jun 30 2009. Filed under Culture, Environmental, Events, Everglades. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry