Georgia Secretary of State Press Office

State of Georgia Official Observance Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust Announced by Secretary of State Karen Handel

ATLANTA --- The State of Georgia’s official Days of Remembrance Observance of the Victims of the Holocaust will be Friday, April 20, 2007 at the State Capitol in the rotunda at noon.

The annual ceremony is held to remember those whose lives were impacted by the Holocaust and honor those who work to educate others about the event and the lessons that can be learned from it.

Governor Sonny Perdue and Secretary of State Karen Handel will deliver remarks for the ceremony. Holocaust survivors, children of survivors, and victims and liberators of concentration camps will light candles in memory of those murdered by the Nazis.

During the program the Holocaust Commission will present awards to the student winners of the statewide annual Holocaust Art and Writing Contest. The winning entries will be on display at the capitol during the observance.

Three Georgia teachers from across the state will also be honored as “Distinguished Educators of the Year” for excellence in teaching about the Holocaust, character education, and diversity issues.

The commission’s highest honor, the Humanitarian Award, will be presented this year to three middle schools; two from Georgia, one from Tennessee. Habersham County Middle School in Clarksville, Georgia and Leesburg Middle School in Leesburg, Georgia are being recognized for their model programs: Holocaust Memorial Wall to the Children who died in the Holocaust and Holocaust Memorial Museum to victims of the Holocaust, respectively. Whitwell Middle School of Whitwell, Tennessee, is being recognized for the Paper Clip Project. The Paper Clip Project is an internationally known memorial created by the students, staff and community.

The public is welcomed and encouraged to attend.

For Immediate Release April 17, 2007	FFI Contact: Sylvia Wygoda Executive Director Georgia Commission on the Holocaust 404-433-4167

State of Georgia Official Observance Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust Announced by Secretary of State Karen Handel ATLANTA --- The State of Georgia’s official Days of Remembrance Observance of the Victims of the Holocaust will be Friday, April 20, 2007 at the State Capitol in the rotunda at noon. The annual ceremony is held to remember those whose lives were impacted by the Holocaust and honor those who work to educate others about the event and the lessons that can be learned from it. Governor Sonny Perdue and Secretary of State Karen Handel will deliver remarks for the ceremony. Holocaust survivors, children of survivors, and victims and liberators of concentration camps will light candles in memory of those murdered by the Nazis. During the program the Holocaust Commission will present awards to the student winners of the statewide annual Holocaust Art and Writing Contest. The winning entries will be on display at the capitol during the observance. Three Georgia teachers from across the state will also be honored as “Distinguished Educators of the Year” for excellence in teaching about the Holocaust, character education, and diversity issues. The commission’s highest honor, the Humanitarian Award, will be presented this year to three middle schools; two from Georgia, one from Tennessee. Habersham County Middle School in Clarksville, Georgia and Leesburg Middle School in Leesburg, Georgia are being recognized for their model programs: Holocaust Memorial Wall to the Children who died in the Holocaust and Holocaust Memorial Museum to victims of the Holocaust, respectively. Whitwell Middle School of Whitwell, Tennessee, is being recognized for the Paper Clip Project. The Paper Clip Project is an internationally known memorial created by the students, staff and community. The public is welcomed and encouraged to attend.