Honor Among The Living

An “Honorarium” is something that honors the living.  A “Memorial” is something that honors the dead.  The city of Duluth, Georgia is alive and well…thank you, and so are its firefighters, police, Emergency Medical Services, and military personnel.  The “Living Honorarium” for all those who serve us will be unveiled on the Town Green in the city of  Duluth, Sunday evening September 11, 2011 at 5:30PM.  Plan to join us at this uplifting ceremony, and support your policemen, firemen, and veterans.   Be part of something that feels good!

Expect inspirational Music, heart thumping Bands, live Singing and Dancing, motivational Guest Speakers and heartfelt Gratitude, as we honor our Living Heroes, those who serve us and put their lives on the line for us every day.

Shirley Lasseter, Commissioner District 1, Gwinnett County has been waiting for this day since 2004.  Serving as Duluth Mayor at that time, and founder of the living honorarium , she first envisioned the value of such a monument, and quickly gained private funding from local businesses and friends supporting her positive concept.

A competition with local artists was held to create the winning design.  A Living Honorarium Selection Committee that included representatives from Duluth Fine Arts League, the Duluth City Council, the local art community, and donors, reviewed proposals from seven semi-finalists before recommending Martin Dawe of Cherrylion Studios to create the city’s project and earn the $50,000 commission.  Kept a secret since production, the winning public art project will be unveiled for the first time at this grand public ceremony.

Duluth’s Living Honorarium will shine a positive light for those that serve us now, and deserve our gratitude today.   “We have always been a patriotic community.  On Memorial Day and Veterans Day we proudly line our streets with thousands of American flags, honoring our deceased veterans.  Now we want to show our gratitude, and put our hands together in applause for those that can hear it”, said Commissioner Lasseter.

This week we accompanied Commissioner Lasseter to Gwinnett Fire Station No. 7, where we met some of our local heroes (see picture above) :

Gwinnett County Police Motors Unit: Sgt Warren Kinney, Hal King, Ron Ogrosky, Thad Timpson, Jim Barfield, Jesse Myers, John Bussell, Mike Hardin, and Dennis Jias.

Firefighters of Gwinnett Fire Station No.7:  Lt. Bobby Oggletree, Britt Sartain, Kevin Keough, Jeremy Bennett, Reid Cown, Brian Mitchell, Alysia Favre, and Brent Forrester.

Come join us September 11, 2011, 5:30 pm. at Duluth Town Green , 3142 Hill St, Duluth, GA .  Shake hands with your honored heroes, and ask them to join you in a picture. Thank them.  Help make this is an event you and they will remember!  …By Positive Public Image, Inc.

Vrooom! – Duluth Economic Development, Honorarium, Fundraiser, DMA

With enthusiasm rolling in, and engines revving, members of the Duluth community work together to “get ‘er done”.  Duluth, Georgia is proud of its growth.  And proud of the upcoming Living Honorarium and fundraising event to honor our Military, Police and Firemen, and EMS.

Gwinnett County Commissioner,Shirley Lasseter,  Nancy Harris, City of Duluth Mayor,  all members of Duluth Merchants Association (DMA), Duluth Fine Arts League, Duluth High School, Primrose, American Legion, Duluth Kiwanis, and “Front Line” donors, are stepping forward to help lead the way to “capture the spirit of good living”, with the upcoming Living Honorarium unveiling ceremony on Sept 11^th  5:30, pm at the Duluth Festival Center & Amphitheater; and the “Light Up  the Honorarium” Fund Raiser Motorcycle Ride on Oct 15th which starts at Bunten Rd Park in Duluth and ends at the Living Honorarium .

Duluth Economic Development Manager, Christopher McGahee (picture center left), is optimistic, and always glad to encourage community leaders making a positive contribution.  Jim Johnson, JMS Consulting (picture right) , makes himself available to help develop sales/marketing strategies for a good cause.  Bill Eppright (picture left) and Sheri Donaldson (picture center right) of Positive Public Image, Inc (PPI), are editorial photojournalists, eager to promote positive organizations, events and people.  Each of these folks is a DMA member…By Positive Public Image, Inc.