Karen Niemic Buchheit, president of the Bradford Creative and
Performing Arts Center, has announced that the Bradford-based
Blaisdell Foundation will receive the 2007 Marilyn Horne Award for
Excellence in the Creative and Performing Arts – known as the
Jackie Award – at the sold-out March 3 performance of the Platters,
the Drifters and the Coasters.
The award presentation will take place at 7:30 p.m., before the
performance at the Bromeley Family Theater in Pitt-Bradford’s
Blaisdell Hall. A reception will follow the performance.
The Blaisdell Foundation is the forth recipient of the Jackie
Award, which was inaugurated in 2000 at the homecoming concert of
Marilyn Horne. BCPAC officials renamed the annual award, which had
been called the Bravo Award, in honor of the region’s most
successful person working in the creative and performing arts.
“Jackie” is Marilyn Horne’s nickname.
The Jackie is given to the regional organization or person,
either from or working in the area, who has contributed admirably
to the fine or performing arts.
“There are no other people and there is no other organization
who have done more for the residents of the region than the people
represented by the Blaisdell Foundation,” says Buchheit. “For a
small, rural town to have both the resources and the commitment of
this remarkable foundation is a wonderful thing.
“This recognition is long overdue,” says Buchheit.
The Philo and Sarah Blaisdell Foundation was established in 1950
by George G. Blaisdell, the founder of Zippo Manufacturing Co. and
named for his parents.
Today, the foundation is guided by the vision of Blaisdell’s
daughter, Sarah Dorn, and her son, George Duke.
Duke, vice president and treasurer of the Zippo Manufacturing
Company, will accept the award on behalf of the foundation.
For nearly 60 years – and under the leadership of Howard
Fesenmyer for the past 16 years – the foundation has addressed the
needs the regional community in many areas, inducing the fine and
performing arts. Fesenmyer served as Blaisdell’s executive vice
president of sales at Zippo Manufacturing Co. for many years before
assuming his position at the foundation.
“BCPAC has been a grateful recipient of the foundation’s
generosity,” says Buchheit, “but countless other shows and
programs, seminars and exhibits have occurred because of assistance
from the foundation.
“The Blaisdell Foundation is always there to give a helping hand
to a good cause,” says Buchheit. “Bradford would be unimaginable
without the vision and the generosity of this foundation.”
The Blaisdell Foundation, in effect, represents the
philanthropic efforts of Zippo Manufacturing Co. and the Blaisdell
family.
Past recipients include community volunteer Jeanie Satterwhite
(2005), actor and writer Bob Cucuzza (2004) and philanthropist
Dorothy Reed (2003). There were no awards bestowed in 2001, 2002 or
2006.
The concert at which the award will be presented is sold
out.
Buchheit, however, offered some opportunities to ticket-seekers
for the sold-out show. Season subscribers who have unusable tickets
can turn their tickets back for a tax credit – it amounts to a
donation to BCPAC – for re-sale. Call the BCPAC office or log onto
the Web site for tickets.
