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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 30th ANNIVERSARY HARMONY FESTIVAL PARTNERS WITH CHARITIES TO BUILD ETHIOPIAN ORPHAN CENTER, PLANT TREES GLOBALLY, AND OFFER AID TO TIBETAN REFUGEES WORLDWIDEMAY 8, 2008 (San Francisco, CA) — Celebrating 30 years of new ideas, community activism, eco-awareness, spiritual wisdom, visionary art, and conscious music, the Harmony Festival (http://www.harmonyfestival.com) is very pleased to announce its new partnership with three worthy charities, The World Family, InTicketing/Trees For the Future, and the Yungchen Lhamo Foundation. Harmony Festival has always been a green and charitable event. In this anniversary year, the Festival continues its tradition by supporting Reggae superstar Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley’s appearance by donating $20,000 to his chosen non-profit organization, The World Family - Ethiopian Orphans and Medical Care. All funds raised go toward the green and sustainable building of The Yemegnushal Community Center in Gara Dima, Ethiopia, where staff is eager to implement community-based orphan support programs and offer opportunities for self-sufficiency in a place which lacks resources or hope. The Center’s services will include health care, well water, solar energy, educational workshops, health education, vocational training, job opportunities, and more. The mission of The World Family - Ethiopian Orphans and Medical Care is to improve the quality of health care in Ethiopia, reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS and other preventable diseases, and support comprehensive care for orphans and their communities through self-sufficient and sustainable programs. Visit www.theworldfamily.org for more information. For more information about Damian and his performance at the Festival, please visit http://harmonyfestival.com/lineup-08/damian-marley.html In addition, Harmony Festival and its ticketing service company, InTicketing, have agreed to plant one tree for each ticket sold through their association with Trees for the Future, which has already planted over 50 million trees worldwide. With an enduring commitment to socially conscious and green business, InTicketing's passion for music and constant innovation continues to set the standard for global awareness in business. For more information please visit www.InTicketing.com and www.treesftf.org. The third benefiting charity is the Yungchen Lhamo Foundation. Created in 1997, the Foundation seeks to address the dangers faced by Tibetans in the occupied territories of Tibet and the more than 120,000 refugees who have fled across the Himalayas to other countries since 1959. The goal of the Foundation is three-tiered, with a special focus on the needs of Tibetan women: to inspire, education and sustain. The Foundation’s namesake, Yungchen Lhamo, is the singer/activist known as “the voice of Tibet”. Fleeing Tibet on foot in 1989, Yungchen Lhamo has emerged as the leading Tibetan vocalist on the world stage. From the quays of Sydney, Australia to the spotlight of Carnegie Hall, her a cappella performances have enchanted audiences in more than 70 countries since she began touring professionally in 1994. A portion of the proceeds from her performance will be presented to her Foundation. She will be performing at Harmony Festival’s After Party Celebration on Sunday night, June 8. For more information, please visit www.yungchenlhamo.com. While it’s not an official charity partner, Harmony Festival is also pleased to announce its alliance with www.giveback.net, a social networking site for conscious causes which is actively promoting the three charitable partners named above by promoting the Festival and making information and music downloads from headline musicians Damian Marley and Yungchen Lhamo available to members who donate. Sean Ahern, Harmony’s Director of Development and Programming, explains, "Giveback.net is like an iTunes meets PayPal for worthwhile charities, and we are very pleased to partner with them in making it easy for everyone to get informed, take action, and change the world.” The 30th Anniversary Harmony Festival takes place June 6-8 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, Santa Rosa, CA. For more information about its commitment to staying green and charitable, please visit http://harmonyfestival.com/festival-info/greening.html |