By CHRISTOPHER QUINN www.ajc.com
Images of poverty and man-made disaster in a documentary caught Mick Chaudhary's attention last year.
While he was attending the Georgia Governor's Honors Program, the Alpharetta High School student saw "Invisible Children," a film about the devastating effects of civil war in Uganda.
Chaudhary is a pushover for a good cause. He was already involved in Alpharetta High's Junior Civitan Club, raising money for refugees in Darfur, Africa, and survivors of the Christmas 2004 tsunami that swallowed tens of thousands of lives along Indian Ocean shores.
There is a reason for the soft spot in his heart. Mick lived six years of his childhood in Bombay, India. His father is a telecommunications executive. He has seen with his own eyes the kind of hopelessness that afflicts so much of the world's population.
He is one of the lucky ones, with the family connections and education that brought him when he was in the 8th grade to a better place in life, but he hasn't forgotten the scenes he has seen.
"I realized I can help people who live in this kind of grinding condition on a daily basis," he said.
And when he saw the Uganda documentary, it became his next cause.
Three young, idealistic Americans made the film on a shoestring budget when they visited Africa in 2003. It documents a phenomenon foreign to civilized thinking, but too common in areas of the world suffering from the chaos of civil wars. It shows the plight of children kidnapped and turned into soldiers and of those the pre-adolescent killers prey on, the refugees.
The filmmakers started a nonprofit organization to support a series of schools in northern Uganda, places of hope and human values, where children can be educated or reeducated. They started a program called Schools for Schools for students who want to help raise money for the schools.
Chaudhary contacted the Invisible Children organization and asked them to screen the film at Alpharetta High School. After they did, Mick and about 75 students started a local chapter of Schools for Schools, promising to raise money for kids in Uganda.
They pulled together concerts with local bands, candy sales, spare change drives and dodgeball tournaments. Students attending a homecoming dance paid $2 more per ticket, earmarked for the program.
"It didn't take a lot of up front money to start, and it touched a lot of people's compassion," said Paul McKown, a social studies teacher who had helped lead the Junior Civitans.
And the pennies, nickels, quarters and dollars began to add up over seven months.
Alpharetta High has given $10,700 to Aware Secondary School in Gulu Province through the program. The money buys books, generators, furniture and other necessities for the boarding school of 700 students.
"I was definitely surprised," Mick said of the amount.
"People were as touched as I was and were willing to help," he said.
The Schools for Schools group will continue when Mick begins college at Vanderbilt University next fall. He expects to start a new chapter there.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Friday, May 9, 2008
Roswell, Alpharetta Host Tourism Week Events
By DAVID PENDERED www.ajc.com
Two cities in North Fulton are hosting events for National Tourism Week, which starts Saturday.
Events are scheduled in Roswell and Alpharetta from Saturday through May 17.
Tourism week was designated by Congress and created by presidential proclamation in 1983 to recognize the nation's tourism industry, according to a joint statement by the convention and visitors bureaus of each city.
Both cities promote their arts and cultural attractions as part of their effort to boost the local economy. Roswell is conducting a study of the value of its tourism industry, which preliminary estimates show pumps about $7 million a year into hotels, restaurants, venues and other destinations.
Here's a schedule of upcoming events:
May 10 and 17:
Downtown Alpharetta Farmer's Market. 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Old Roswell Street, off Milton Avenue. Free admission.
May 10 and 11
18th Annual Colors Festival of Arts. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Roswell's Historic Town Square. Free admission.
May 10
The inaugural concert of the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. 8 p.m., 2200 Encore Parkway. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra performs under conductor Robert Spano. A grand opening reception begins at 5:15 p.m. Tickets: $21 to $75 (reception an additional $25). For information, call 404-249-6400.
May 11
Mother's Day Open House at historic Barrington Hall, Bulloch Hall and Smith Plantation in Roswell. 1-3 p.m. Admission is a can of food for the North Fulton Food Bank at each house.
May 12
Alpharetta's annual Mayor's Challenge Road Race. 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Event features a 10K that is a Peachtree qualifier and a 1 mile fun run. For information go to alpharetta.ga.us.
May 14, 16, 17 and 20
Eagles "Long Road Out of Eden World Tour." 8 p.m. Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park. Tickets: $65 lawn; $185 reserved. For information, call 404-249-6400
May 15
18th Annual Taste of Alpharetta. 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wills Park, Old Milton Parkway. Food samples: 50 cents each and participating restaurants will charge from $1 to $3 for larger servings. Free admission.
May 15
Alive After Five. 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Roswell's Historic District. Free admission. For information, go to www.aliveafterfiveroswell.com.
May 17
Local authors' book signing party. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Roswell Visitors Center, 617 Atlanta St. All books will be available for purchase.
May 18
Sundays On The Square in Historic Roswell. Free concert featuring the Atlanta Wind Symphony from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. For information, go to wwww.roswellgov.com.
Two cities in North Fulton are hosting events for National Tourism Week, which starts Saturday.
Events are scheduled in Roswell and Alpharetta from Saturday through May 17.
Tourism week was designated by Congress and created by presidential proclamation in 1983 to recognize the nation's tourism industry, according to a joint statement by the convention and visitors bureaus of each city.
Both cities promote their arts and cultural attractions as part of their effort to boost the local economy. Roswell is conducting a study of the value of its tourism industry, which preliminary estimates show pumps about $7 million a year into hotels, restaurants, venues and other destinations.
Here's a schedule of upcoming events:
May 10 and 17:
Downtown Alpharetta Farmer's Market. 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Old Roswell Street, off Milton Avenue. Free admission.
May 10 and 11
18th Annual Colors Festival of Arts. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Roswell's Historic Town Square. Free admission.
May 10
The inaugural concert of the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. 8 p.m., 2200 Encore Parkway. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra performs under conductor Robert Spano. A grand opening reception begins at 5:15 p.m. Tickets: $21 to $75 (reception an additional $25). For information, call 404-249-6400.
May 11
Mother's Day Open House at historic Barrington Hall, Bulloch Hall and Smith Plantation in Roswell. 1-3 p.m. Admission is a can of food for the North Fulton Food Bank at each house.
May 12
Alpharetta's annual Mayor's Challenge Road Race. 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Event features a 10K that is a Peachtree qualifier and a 1 mile fun run. For information go to alpharetta.ga.us.
May 14, 16, 17 and 20
Eagles "Long Road Out of Eden World Tour." 8 p.m. Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park. Tickets: $65 lawn; $185 reserved. For information, call 404-249-6400
May 15
18th Annual Taste of Alpharetta. 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wills Park, Old Milton Parkway. Food samples: 50 cents each and participating restaurants will charge from $1 to $3 for larger servings. Free admission.
May 15
Alive After Five. 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Roswell's Historic District. Free admission. For information, go to www.aliveafterfiveroswell.com.
May 17
Local authors' book signing party. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Roswell Visitors Center, 617 Atlanta St. All books will be available for purchase.
May 18
Sundays On The Square in Historic Roswell. Free concert featuring the Atlanta Wind Symphony from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. For information, go to wwww.roswellgov.com.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Document Shred Fest Headed To Alpharetta This Weekend Better Business Bureau Offers Free On- The - Spot Shredding And Advice At Wal Mart Supercenter
By S.A. REID www.ajc.com
The rise in identity theft makes safeguarding personal information from old bills to canceled checks essential in keeping it out of the hands of thieves.
The local Better Business Bureau is offering free, on-the-spot document shredding and expert advice Saturday to metro Atlantans interested in making a clean sweep this spring.
SECURE YOUR ID DAY Bring any documents that include personal information, such as bank account, credit card and social security numbers. The list includes:• Tax records• Bills• Bank statements • Checks• Medical records• Credit card pre-approvals Source BBB
The services are being offered as part of the inaugural BBB Secure Your ID Day, a national collaboration involving BBB's coast-to-coast, Equifax and the National Association for Information Destruction.
Metro Atlanta residents and businesses can drop off paper documents for shredding from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Wal-Mart Supercenter, 5455 Atlanta Highway, Alpharetta. Up to three bags or boxes will be accepted per car.
Five Star Shredding, a document management company in Alpharetta, will have on site a truck equipped with a mobile shredder that can handle about 6,000 pounds per hour. All destroyed documents will be recycled.
"We are giving [residents] a way to take a large amount of the personal information that they want to have responsibly shredded and have the confidence in knowing that anything that has their personal information is being shredded right in front of their eyes," said Dottie Callina, a spokesman for the Better Business Bureau serving metro Atlanta, Athens and northeast Georgia.
BBB and other officials will be on hand at the drop-off to pass out information on how to prevent ID theft and what victims should do.
Experts consider identity theft a "crime of access." Last year, more than 8 million Americans fell victim to the crime for a total loss of $45 billion, according to a Javelin Strategy and Research report, a California-based financial services research firm.
The Federal Trade Commission puts the number of Georgia victims at 8,744 in 2007, nearly 700 more than the previous year.
"Identity theft can have far-reaching consequences and hamper a person's ability to do everyday things," said Jennifer Costello, an Equifax spokeswoman. "It can cost a consumer up to hundreds of dollars to resolve these issues."
Saturday's event is the first of two planned for this year. A second one is set for Sept. 20. The success of Saturday's event will determine the location.
Other partners of Secure Your ID Day in Georgia are the Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs and the Southeast Regional Office of the Federal Trade Commission.
Tips on preventing ID theft:
• Check your credit report regularly, at least 3-4 times a year.
• Pay attention to billing cycles. Missing or late bills could signal a problem.
• Don't carry your Social Security card in your wallet
• Sign on with a credit monitoring service that can alert you to significant changes in your credit file.
Source: Equifax
The rise in identity theft makes safeguarding personal information from old bills to canceled checks essential in keeping it out of the hands of thieves.
The local Better Business Bureau is offering free, on-the-spot document shredding and expert advice Saturday to metro Atlantans interested in making a clean sweep this spring.
SECURE YOUR ID DAY Bring any documents that include personal information, such as bank account, credit card and social security numbers. The list includes:• Tax records• Bills• Bank statements • Checks• Medical records• Credit card pre-approvals Source BBB
The services are being offered as part of the inaugural BBB Secure Your ID Day, a national collaboration involving BBB's coast-to-coast, Equifax and the National Association for Information Destruction.
Metro Atlanta residents and businesses can drop off paper documents for shredding from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Wal-Mart Supercenter, 5455 Atlanta Highway, Alpharetta. Up to three bags or boxes will be accepted per car.
Five Star Shredding, a document management company in Alpharetta, will have on site a truck equipped with a mobile shredder that can handle about 6,000 pounds per hour. All destroyed documents will be recycled.
"We are giving [residents] a way to take a large amount of the personal information that they want to have responsibly shredded and have the confidence in knowing that anything that has their personal information is being shredded right in front of their eyes," said Dottie Callina, a spokesman for the Better Business Bureau serving metro Atlanta, Athens and northeast Georgia.
BBB and other officials will be on hand at the drop-off to pass out information on how to prevent ID theft and what victims should do.
Experts consider identity theft a "crime of access." Last year, more than 8 million Americans fell victim to the crime for a total loss of $45 billion, according to a Javelin Strategy and Research report, a California-based financial services research firm.
The Federal Trade Commission puts the number of Georgia victims at 8,744 in 2007, nearly 700 more than the previous year.
"Identity theft can have far-reaching consequences and hamper a person's ability to do everyday things," said Jennifer Costello, an Equifax spokeswoman. "It can cost a consumer up to hundreds of dollars to resolve these issues."
Saturday's event is the first of two planned for this year. A second one is set for Sept. 20. The success of Saturday's event will determine the location.
Other partners of Secure Your ID Day in Georgia are the Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs and the Southeast Regional Office of the Federal Trade Commission.
Tips on preventing ID theft:
• Check your credit report regularly, at least 3-4 times a year.
• Pay attention to billing cycles. Missing or late bills could signal a problem.
• Don't carry your Social Security card in your wallet
• Sign on with a credit monitoring service that can alert you to significant changes in your credit file.
Source: Equifax
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