Organic Capital Event Will Honor 2009 Environmental Heroes

News Advisory: For Immediate Release, December 10, 2009

Contacts: Kim Glazzard at (916) 455-8415 or (916) 761-4726
William Brooks at (916)201-2162

Organic Capital Event Will Honor 2009 Environmental Heroes

Organic Sacramento is co-sponsoring the Organic Capital Celebration of Sustainability with Friends of the River on Thursday, December 10, 2009 from 6-10 p.m. at the Beatnik Studio at 2421 17th Street (near the Tower Theater) in Sacramento.

The theme for this year's event is "Water, Water Everywhere. . .” The fundraiser for Restore the Delta, Delta farmers, and ongoing water education and advocacy programs, will feature wonderful food, great guest speakers, live music, a silent auction, and other surprises.

“This is shaping up to be a very wonderful event and will be an important opportunity to learn more about Delta water issues, the Marine Life Protection Act on the California coast and Nestle’s efforts to build a water bottling plant in Sacramento,” said Kim Glazzard of Organic Sacramento. “The event is designed not only to thank the numerous individuals for their hard work over this past year, but to also bring the water communities throughout Northern California together in support of the greater values of protection of California’s water.”

The program, starting at 7 p.m., will include special guest speakers as well as recognition and acknowledgement for individuals and groups that have made exceptional efforts in addressing these complex and challenging water issues.

Mark Franco, headman of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, will be the keynote speaker and talk about the battle to stop the raising of Shasta Dam, the peripheral canal, and efforts to restore the Delta and salmon fisheries.

Vern Goehring of the California Fisheries Coalition and Edwin Nieves of the Mendocino Seaweed Stewardship Alliance will be honored for the work they have done to fight for the rights of sustainable fishermen and seaweed harvesters under threat by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Marine Life Protection Act process. Atta P. Stephenson, traditional North Coast tribal seaweed harvester, will be recognized for her dedication to defending tribal fishing and seaweed harvesting rights.

For their efforts to stop Nestle’s from opening a water bottling plant in Sacramento, Evan Tucker, on behalf of Save Our Water, and Sacramento City Council Member Kevin McCarty, will be honored.

A number of people and organizations will be recognized for their determination to save the Delta and stop the water policy/water bond legislation that will clear the path to the construction of the peripheral canal. Public officials to be honored include California State Senator Lois Wolk, City of Sacramento Vice Mayor Lauren Hammond and City of Sacramento Council Member Rob Fong.

Representatives of organizations that will receive awards include Bill Jennings, the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance; Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Restore the Delta; Mark Pruner, North Delta CARES; Barbara Daly, Save the Delta; and Nancy Price, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. For his efforts to bring tribal human rights to the state of California, Randy Yonemura of the California Indian Heritage Council will be honored.

The event will feature Gregory Kondos, a well-known Delta artist, live music by David Harpe and the Caribbean Jazz Q-tet.

The suggested donation will be $10 - $25, but no one will be turned away.

The evening schedule is as follows:

What: Organic Capital Community Celebration of Sustainability
Date: Thursday, December 10, 2009
When: 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
6:00 p.m. - Social Hour
7:00 p.m. - Program and Recognition
8:30 p.m. - Music and Dancing
Where: Beatnik Studios, 2421 17th Street, Sacramento
(between Broadway and X St., a block up from the Tower Theater)

For additional information, contact William Brooks at (916) 201-2162 or Kim Glazzard at (916) 455-8415 or (916) 761-4726.