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CONTACT:
Mary Beth Zeman, 973-720-2444
zemanm@wpunj.edu


November 15, 2005

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William Paterson University to Host Annual Thanksgiving Dinner for Senior Citizens on November 19

More than 350 senior citizens from northern New Jersey are expected to attend William Paterson University's Eighth Annual Senior Citizens Thanksgiving Dinner on Saturday, November 19 from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at The Brownstone in Paterson.

The event is hosted by William Paterson University, local community organizations and social agencies from the northern New Jersey area.  The purpose of the dinner is to recognize the contributions of senior citizens in the community.

This year’s dinner will be hosted by Susanna Tardi, professor of sociology. Featured during the dinner will be presentations of the William Paterson University Lifetime Achievement Awards to senior citizens who have made significant contributions to their communities: Osvaldo Aquirre, founder of the CASA Latina Americana program, an organization that advocates for Hispanics who have encountered obstacles in employment and who need assistance in participating in political leadership positions;

Virginia Martinez, founder of PRIDE (Puerto Rican Institute of Development and Education), which provides tutoring and career guidance to youth and adults, and co-founder of the United Puerto Rican Council; Harvey Nutter, executive director of the local chapter of the Opportunities Industrialization Center, which assists unemployed and welfare clients in obtaining skills needed to support themselves and their families; and Mary Wheeler, director of senior services for the City of Paterson, Department of Human Services, an active community member, she has been recognized for dedicated service to the National Council for Negro Women.

In addition to a traditional turkey dinner, guests will enjoy entertainment by Steve Alexander and his Jazz Band, AbraCadabra D.J., and Robert Sweeney and Rebecca Reid who will perform their traditional ballroom dances. University volunteers, including faculty, staff and students, will assist at the event. Members of the campus community have donated gift certificates for the guests.

Forty-eight community organizations, senior citizen centers and social agencies from cities in northern New Jersey have been invited to send guests to the dinner. Individual organizations, as well as the Passaic County Freeholders, will provide transportation. Emergency services will be provided by the North Haledon First Aid Squad.

The dinner is organized by William Paterson's Office of the Provost and University volunteers. 

William Paterson University, one of the nine state colleges and universities in New Jersey, offers 32 undergraduate and 19 graduate programs through five colleges: Arts and Communication, the Christos M. Cotsakos College of Business, Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Science and Health.  Located on 370 hilltop acres in Wayne, the University enrolls nearly 11,000 students.  The institution’s faculty are highly distinguished and diverse scholars and teachers, many of whom are recipients of prestigious awards and grants from the Fulbright Program, the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and the American Philosophical Society.

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WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY 1855-2005: CELEBRATING 150 YEARS