LiVE MAGAZINE VOL 8, Issue #203 February 20th THRU March 6th, 2015

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