Connections

Celebrating excellence in our community

I am sure you would agree with me that, far too often in today's hectic world, we do not always take the time to praise our family members, friends and co-workers when they do good work. We at WHYY most especially enjoy opportunities to support community "time outs" when exceptional achievements are marked!

One of the most pleasurable civic opportunities I have had personally is to serve as a trustee to The Philadelphia Award. Arguably the most prestigious award in our region, The Philadelphia Award goes to a local citizen who, during the preceding year, has contributed a service "to advance the best and largest interest of the community."

The Philadelphia Award In June, the trustees presented the 2002 Philadelphia Award to celebrated author, distinguished educator and passionate social activist Lorene Cary during a very special ceremony in North Philadelphia's magnificent Church of the Advocate, which is home to the Art Sanctuary, an organization Cary founded in 1998 to foster the creativity of minority writers, poets, musicians and artists.

When philanthropist Edward Bok established The Award in 1921, he said, "the ideal of service as a test of good citizenship should be kept constantly before the minds of the people of Philadelphia." It is in this same spirit that we are extremely pleased to share The Philadelphia Award ceremony with a larger audience on WHYY-TV this month, continuing our tradition of celebrating the people and places that make the Delaware Valley such a rich and culturally diverse region both on and off-air.

Yet another of our region's treasures is The Franklin Institute, which, each year since it was founded in 1824, has recognized individuals from across the United States and around the world who have made extraordinary contributions to the fields of science and technology. Widely regarded as the American Nobel Prizes, The Franklin Institute Awards are presented during an inspirational ceremony, and we were excited to produce this special event for broadcast on WHYY-TV last month.

In addition to profiling each of the 12 recipients of the 2003 Benjamin Franklin Medal, who include Jane Goodall and University of Pennsylvania professor Robin M. Hochstrasser, and Bower Award laureates Paul B. MacCready and Hebert D. Kelleher, the program also explored the illustrious history of this world-renowned center for science education and development.

When you examine all that they have accomplished, it is difficult not to be inspired by Lorene Cary and The Franklin Award winners. We at WHYY strive to reach their level of excellence each and every day by broadcasting on-air programs that educate and entertain and by creating off-air services and events that offer people value and meaning in their busy lives.

We are proud to be able to introduce such immense talents to audiences throughout our broadcast area, and we hope that people young and old, near and far, are as inspired by their remarkable achievements as we are. We encourage you to take "time out" yourselves to enjoy the satisfaction that comes from telling a friend or neighbor: "Thanks for a job very well done!"

Best regards,
William J. Marrazzo
President and Chief Executive Officer