CONTACTS: Ira H. Silverman/Carol Morganstern - - 516-495-5280
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    

NON-PROFIT GROUP CHANGES NAME TO REFLECT TRANSFORMATION IN U.S. SINCE 9/11/01

         NEW YORK, August 29, 2006 - - A 501(C) 3 not for profit corporation initially named the 9/11 Families Give Back Fund when launched more than four years ago has officially changed its name to The Heritage Fund of 9/11 to better reflect the group’s work and mission, it was announced today by the organization’s founder and president Tara Modlin.
         According to Modlin, 28, who manages a special events and promotions agency in Manhattan and who was deeply affected by the deaths, grief and heroism at the World Trade Center site on 9/11/01, the mission of The Heritage Fund of 9/11 is now threefold:
(1)         Produce 9/11 commemorative events in the Greater New York area each fall featuring both world and U.S. champion skaters and young people that includes patriotic segments with the overall intention of ensuring that the world, especially children, grasps the importance of that day and the heroism that was displayed across the country.
(2)         To maintain awareness of the 9/11/01 tragedies among the current and future young generations of Americans by publishing and producing 9/11-related educational materials for youngsters all over the country; and
(3)         To create events to provide survivors and heroes of the 9/11 attacks with opportunities to tell their stories to younger generations of Americans.
“It’s our goal over the next few weeks, in conjunction with the fifth anniversary of the World Trade Center tragedies,” stated Modlin, “to reach out to the public and the media to elucidate our re-branding initiative while at the same time publicize our upcoming skating show and our unique workbook for kids.”

         In order to help achieve its goals, The Heritage Foundation of 9/11 has staged a series of highly successful figure skating events throughout the Greater NY area called Stars, Stripes & Skates IceTravaganzas.  Based on Modlin’s experience as a former top 10 U.S. ranked ice dancer, the first four SSS events were held in Sept. ‘02 in Madison Square Garden, Dec. ‘03 in Nassau Coliseum, Dec. ‘04 in Cantiague Park, LI, and Oct. ‘05 back in Nassau Coliseum (where more than $500,000 was raised for the Foundation’s work).

This year’s Stars, Stripes and Skates show will return to Nassau Coliseum on Sunday, Oct. 22, when it will be hosted by Nancy Kerrigan and taped for a delayed telecast by Comcast.  The two-hour event promises to feature a cast similar to the ones in the past that have included Olympic World and American champions such as Sarah and Emily Hughes, Alexei Yagudin, Todd Eldridge, Sasha Cohen, Johnny Weir, Victor Petrenko, Philippe Cadeloro and Nicole Bobek.
Because The Heritage Foundation believes it is vitally important to remember 9/11 and to teach younger generations about the sense of community, heroism and patriotism that was exemplified in the aftermath of the attacks on 9/11, the group has made the development and distribution of a special youth workbook one of its primary missions.   In implementing this project, the Foundation has done several years of due diligence and research using some of the top people in the childhood education and psychology fields, and they now feel they are close to having the right workbook at the right time for the right audience.
            While still a work in progress, some sample copies will be given out at schools around the NY metro area this year.  It is the Foundation’s hope that it can continue to raise more money so they can make future editions of the workbook even more child-friendly by adding color, glossy pages and other similar extensions. 

            For further information or to make a contribution, contact The Heritage Fund of 9/11 at 31 E. 32^nd St., c/o Fireworks ICS, Suite 300, NY, NY 10016; or call 212-481-8484.

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