Men Stopping Violence Annual Awards Dinner October 2

Written by Men Stopping Violence

Music and film star Tim McGraw will take Atlanta’s stage on Oct. 2, 2010, to accept the True Ally Award at the 2010 Men Stopping Violence Annual Awards Dinner. The Men Stopping Violence Annual Awards Dinner recognizes individuals who have dedicated time and resources to fostering safety and justice for women.  The dinner is the primary annual fundraiser for Men Stopping Violence (www.menstoppingviolence.org).

Award-winning playwright Pearl Cleage will receive The Kathleen Carlin Justice Seekers Award, named for the founding executive director of Men Stopping Violence.  McGraw and Herman "Skip" Mason Jr., author, historian and president of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, will accept the True Ally Awards, which recognize men of conscience–allies who use their influence to advocate for safety, equality and respect for women and girls.  Dr. Frank Ostrowski will receive posthumously the Dick Bathrick Activist Award, given to a man who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in the work to end violence against women. Ostrowski co-founded Alternatives to Violent Acts, a precursor to the Men Stopping Violence organization.

“This dinner is a time when we pause to acknowledge our work and the work of others who are committed to this cause.  It is a connecting point for men and women working to build a strong community of allies and who join our mission to provide resources for building safer communities for women and girls,” said Shelley Serdahely, executive director of Men Stopping Violence.

 The Men Stopping Violence Annual Awards Dinner will be held on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2010, starting at 6:30 p.m. at The Ritz-Carlton Atlanta, 181 Peachtree St. NE. Individual tickets are $225; patron tickets are $750; and individual tables are $2,000. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visitwww.menstoppingviolence.org or call (404) 270-9894.

Pearl Cleage has been a long-time supporter of Men Stopping Violence. She is a prolific writer of plays, essays, poems, and novels. Her poem, “Because We Have Daughters,” was written as a gift for Men Stopping Violence. She is being honored because she chose to write novels as a way of connecting with a broad audience with a message of safety and respect for women. Cleage has reached over 1 million women with stories about a woman’s safety being threatened and the community coming together to respond on her behalf.

As General President of Alpha Phi Alpha, the largest African American fraternity in the country, Reverend Herman “Skip” Mason personally reached out to every chapter last year with a powerful message about what members could do to help end violence against women. His role with Men Stopping Violence marks the first time the national president of a fraternity has taken such a bold and public stand against domestic violence.

Working with his wife, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw has helped raise tens of thousands of dollars for battered women’s shelters in Tennessee. His dedication to honesty and integrity has helped make him not only a country music superstar, but one of the biggest names in all of music today. In his record-shattering career, McGraw has sold over 40 million albums, and dominated the charts with 31 Number One singles. Since the release of his debut album in 1993, he has won three Grammys, 14 Academy of Country Music Awards, 11 Country Music Association Awards, and 10 American Music Awards, while simultaneously maintaining a parallel career as a successful actor.

Frank Ostrowski (1930-2010) was a respected psychologist and peace activist. He served as an officer for Psychologists for Social Responsibility for the International Fellowship of Reconciliation, an organization that opposes wars, at the United Nations. He also wrote and self-published a book: "Beyond Systems: Achieving Peace Through Our Shared Humanity." Ostrowski was known for consistently drawing connections between a country’s propensity for violence and the status of women in that country. His award will be accepted by his widow, Dr. Sarah Lopez.

Men Stopping Violence specializes in training, educating, and collaborating with allies in a variety of communities with the goal of connecting people who want to end violence against women. For more information, visit www.menstoppingviolence.org or visit MSV’s Facebook page.  The 2010 Men Stopping Violence Annual Awards Dinner is sponsored by Alpha Phi Alpha, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Georgia Power, Sutherland, Graphic Communications and Turner.