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Outreach Leader
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| Distinguished Operatives
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| Greetings!
FUNDRED covert activities and outreach are going public!
Yes, we have been keeping outreach activities on the down low, clandestine, underground, stealth, hush hush, you know...
BUT now it is TIME TO GO PUBLIC!!!
On October 31 the OPERATION PAYDIRT/FUNDRED DOLLAR BILL PROJECT was announced as the world's largest art/science project uniting scientists & 3 million students across the country against lead polluted soils in New Orleans.
As Operatives, you need to be in the know...so, here is the key information.
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OPERATION PAYDIRT - SAFEHOUSE
SAFEHOUSE in St. Roch, New Orleans, LA photo by Michael Mallow
The October FUNDRED News gave you a preview of SAFEHOUSE, a major sculpture just installed in New Orleans. Also see the Art:21 blog post for more back story.
SAFEHOUSE was unveiled at the national press conference timed to coincide with the country's largest biennial of international contemporary art, Prospect.1. The sculpture is surprising and quite eye catching evidenced by people stopping throughout the day to stare at the surreal sight of this iconic sculpture in the midst of the St. Roch neighborhood.
Of course SAFEHOUSE is more than a sculpture. The FUNDRED krewe was on the streets of New Orleans for over 3 weeks introducing the project to teachers and students city-wide. This effort was to catalyze the creation of 7,000 FUNDREDS from New Orleans alone! ...and, on October 31 when the 10' diameter vault door swung open, the interior walls of SAFEHOUSE were lined with FUNDREDS made in New Orleans, each one individually pinned to the wall with two bright brass tacks.
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More on the National Press Conference
The project is announced inside the SAFEHOUSE photo by Amanda Wiles
The OPERATION PAYDIRT press conference was held in SAFEHOUSE on October 31, 2008 at 12:30 p.m. The press conference was designed as a means to raise local and national awareness of the hidden lead problem in New Orleans. The interest raised by this pubic announcement will fan the FUNDRED flames offering the opportunity to draw FUNDREDS to more students in the U.S. It was also an opportunity to raise awareness and gain support among the citizens of New Orleans for OPERATION PAYDIRT'S environmental landscape initiative. Key project spokespeople introduced the engineering and scientific coordination of a solution to the lead contamination compromising the health and education of youth.
Along with Mel Chin, participants included: Dr. Kevin Stevens, Director of New Orleans Department of Health; Dr. Howard Mielke, Research Scientist, Tulane Xavier Center for Bio Environmental Research, Dr. Andrew Hunt, Environmental Geochemist, University of Texas; Christi LaMark, New Orleans Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program; Mary Rubin, FUNDRED National Coordinator; local educators and school children; members of the St. Roch community; and other associates.
The on-line eco press is the first to pick up the story:
Ecolocalizer
Other notables included:
The Times Picayune
The Wall Street Journal (see slide 6)
Houston Chronicle
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Since you and your students have been getting down and dirty and are key in this operation, this is your announcement too! Feel free to make the media in your area aware of your creative efforts. We encourage you to use the press release to generate interest. And, if you find media interested in pursuing or covering OPERATION PAYDIRT, please also have them contact Sarah Bacon (sbacon@fenton.com / 212 584 5000 x 318) or Claudia Gunter (cgunter@fenton.com/ 212 584 5000 x 226) at Fenton Communications, the folks managing OPERATION PAYDIRT press.
As always, you can also contact us on the FUNDRED team at questions@fundred.org as we are ever interested in what goes on out there with you.
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Next Steps
We have more work to do to accomplish the FUNDRED goal but with your help and the help of other like-minded educators we look forward to success!
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Questions:
If you have questions please e-mail them to: questions@fundred.org.
Please continue to spread the word about the opportunity to participate in the FUNDRED DOLLAR BILL PROJECT!
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