AARP Celebrates its 50th Anniversary
AARP put on its party hat to celebrate its 50th birthday in South Florida.
By: States: Florida | Source: AARP.org | Date Posted:
AARP celebrated its 50th anniversary in South Florida the week of February 25th with top elected officials, volunteers, all branches of the AARP family and, at one event alone, a lively, intergenerational and multi-ethnic crowd of more than 600. At a birthday party Monday, AARP’s Florida State Director, Lori Parham, welcomed AARP members and guests while Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez and City of Miami Mayor Manuel Diaz read official proclamations and wished America’s largest membership association a happy 50th birthday. Congressional and state legislators also attended the event.
A high point came when Parham presented Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Rudy Crew and Dr. David Moore, principal of Miami Douglas MacArthur South High School, with a $100,000 Ethel Percy Andrus Legacy Award for the school’s Young Men’s Academy for Academic and Civic Engagement. To honor its founder—a pioneering educator, Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus—AARP is taking advantage of its 50th Anniversary celebration to strengthen ties between generations.
AARP sponsored a national competition for high schools offering intergenerational programs and selected one high school in each of the seven Celebration Cities across the country. The awards recognize schools with programs designed to connect generations. The intergenerational program encourages students to work with elder and disabled community members. In appreciation, MacArthur South students presented Parham with an original painting of Dr. Andrus by one of their students.
Then the party really got rolling, with live music, dancing and refreshments, pastries and a cake for 600 attendees in honor of AARP’s 50th birthday. Supporting the event were staff and volunteers of the Florida State Office, DC ODI and Member Events staff, Miami’s Work Search unit and PRC/AARP Contact Center staff—a strong demonstration of "one AARP." Media covering the event included both English-speaking and Spanish television and the Miami Herald.
The celebration continued on Wednesday, February 27, when, in conjunction with AARP’s "Connecting to Change" theme, AARP partnered with Rebuilding Together to unveil a pavilion that was constructed and donated to the Gibson/Stirrup Park Senior Housing and Community Center. The following day, AARP celebrated with a $10,000 Innovation Award to a Broward County high school for its use of technology to serve its community.
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http://www.aarpmagazine.org/people/estreet_JF08_ahead_of_her_time.html
Other Resources
50th Anniversary
http://www.aarp.org/aarp/50thAnniversary/
Ethel Percy Andrus Legacy Awards
http://www.aarp.org/about_aarp/aarp_overview/the_aarp_ethel_percy_andrus_legacy_awards.html
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