LiVE MAGAZINE VOL 8, Issue #203 February 20th THRU March 6th, 2015
Live Magazine from Palm Springs
Live Magazine from Palm Springs
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“Café Society in Bloom,” an evening of Jazz and justice, is this year’s<br />
theme for the <strong>6th</strong> Annual Spring Fling Cabaret & Silent Auction benefiting<br />
Bloom in the Desert Ministries, Friday, <strong>March</strong> 6, <strong>2015</strong>, 6pm to 9pm. A new<br />
show featuring the Coachella Valley’s finest musical talent: Keisha D, Elaine Wang Meyerhoffer,<br />
Jerome Elliott and Charles Herrera join the creative direction of Charlie Creasy and a Jazz combo.<br />
The Saxophone Quartet from Desert Winds Freedom Band will provide dinner music. Coachella<br />
Valley peace and justice activist Tracy Mark Turner will receive the first-ever “Bloom in the Desert<br />
Ministries Community Justice Award.” The “Café Society” theme is inspired by the first integrated<br />
Jazz Age nightclub by the same name opened in New York in 1938.<br />
Charlie Creasy Elaine Wang Meyerhoffer Keisha D Jerome Elliott Charles Herrera<br />
For only $80, participants will enjoy dinner, the show, a huge silent auction and raffles. Silent<br />
auction items include limited-edition art, exotic travel, great food and a variety of golf items.<br />
The location is the Desert Princess Hotel and Resort Mesquite Ballroom, 28-555 Landau Boulevard<br />
in Cathedral City. Make paid reservations and get additional information by visiting<br />
www.bloominthedesert.org or calling 617-835-9285.<br />
Bloom in the Desert Ministries is a United Church of Christ and Reconciling Ministries congregation<br />
that celebrates diversity, friendship and service. The fundraising ensures continuing ministries<br />
among houseless, working poor, underprivileged school children, valley musicians, LGBT activists,<br />
seniors, and peace and justice advocates.<br />
The “Bloom in the Desert Ministries Community Justice Award” is awarded to Mr. Tracy Mark<br />
Turner as the first recipient. Tracy has been a collaborator with Bloom on many peace and justice<br />
actions for more than a decade. Most notably was his being a member of the interfaith coalition<br />
that worked with Palm Springs city leaders to bring an International Peace Pole to the downtown<br />
Village Green. In the past few years, the church and Tracy collaborated with others on marriage<br />
equality rallies and demonstrations that Bloom helped sponsor. During the past decade, Tracy<br />
also joined Bloom’s leadership in peace, fair labor, healthcare advocacy, Veterans for Peace and<br />
comprehensive immigration reform dialogues, marches, vigils, and protests. Bloom’s pastor, Rev.<br />
Kevin A Johnson says, “We know when we show up at a vigil, rally or march, if Tracy is there, we are<br />
in the right place.” While he is not a covenanting member of Bloom in the Desert Ministries UCC<br />
(Tracy identifies most closely with the Buddhist faith), because of his participation and leadership<br />
Bloom considers him a community partner in peace and justice ministries.<br />
Tracy was a 2004 early retiree after 25 years with Pacific Bell, now AT&T, in the Bay Area, relocating<br />
to Palm Springs at that time. He was born and raised in Wyoming. He moved to San Francisco as<br />
a young man and made his career there in the customer service field. Tracey says he “always had<br />
a penchant for peace and justice concerns.” He was influenced by his mother’s side of the family,<br />
saying, “They were labor people.” While in San Francisco, Tracy was active as a member of the<br />
Communication Workers of America union, Local 9410.<br />
The “Bloom in the Desert Ministries Community Justice Award” has three main qualifications:<br />
1. To recognize the value and actions of a person working diligently for peace and justice in the<br />
Coachella Valley community. This is in alignment with Bloom’s mission statement, which includes<br />
the statement: “We agitate for God’s peace and justice in our community and around the world.”<br />
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2. The person needs to have a relatively wide range of ongoing experience in peace and justice<br />
activism.<br />
3. The person has done peace and justice work for several years without significant personal<br />
recognition.