The Words of the Gavin Family
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The Words of the Gavin Family |
National Parent's Day, a federally recognized holiday since 1994, was celebrated on July 30, 2010 at the Manhattan Center in New York City, with more than 400 guests joining a gala banquet. Mr. David Hunter, the master of ceremonies, walked us through an evening filled with wonderful and memorable moments. Rev. Stephen Webb of New Life Christian Church in New Jersey, opened the program with a heartfelt prayer. We were all truly inspired by a moving rendition of the National Anthem by Lovin' Life Band's Ilhwa Compton.
Rev. Bruce Grodner, Chairman of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) of New York, spoke to the audience on the meaning and significance of Parents' Day. The establishment of Parents' Day was inspired by Mrs. Hak Ja Han Moon, the wife of Rev. Sun Myung Moon, following a speech she delivered at the U.S. Senate in Washington, D.C. in 1993. She suggested that it would be an inspiration for the whole nation and the world if a national holiday was established to honor parents.
Members of the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate were encouraged by Americans from all over the country to establish Parents' Day as a national holiday and on January 25, 1994 a joint resolution of the House and the Senate unanimously approved Parents' Day as a perennial holiday on the 4th Sunday of every July. President Bill Clinton signed the Resolution and it was established into law on October 14, 1994. All over the country Americans celebrate the holiday every year in parades, at picnics, in churches, at dinners, at State Capitols and many other venues throughout the month of July. Parents' Day Awards ceremonies are very popular and some organizations nominate parents to receive this award on community, state, and national levels.
The Universal Peace Federation has supported Parents' Day activities for 16 years. This year, UPF invited Rev. In Jin Moon to be the keynote speaker at the National Parent's Day Awards banquet. Rev. Moon is the President and CEO of the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (HSA-UWC) and CEO of the Manhattan Center, an arts and entertainment facility, where this year's banquet was held. Rev. In Jin Moon was introduced by Rev. Barry Geller, the Chairman of UPF in New Jersey.
She approached the podium in a beautiful evening gown and with charm, elegance and dignity she addressed the national, and local, award winners and all assembled in the Manhattan Center's prestigious Hammerstein Ballroom. She welcomed everyone and said that, as a mother, she could imagine God's heart as he looked upon his first children, Adam and Eve. Like a mother, God must have looked upon these children with great hope and expectation; however, His children chose to follow another way and established families that were not of His tradition. She hypothesized what it would have been like if Jesus had taken a beautiful bride and brought children into the world. He would have shown us how a true man and a true woman would live and how to raise children to be sons and daughters of God.
Rev. Moon told the story of how Jesus had appeared to her father, Sun Myung Moon, at the age of 16 and asked him to fulfill the mission he had started 2,000 years ago and to establish God's Family and God's Kingdom on the earth.
Following Rev. Moon's address, the National Parents' Day Awards Ceremony was hosted by Mr. James Gavin, Regional Secretary General and President of UPF-USA.
Rev. In Jin Moon and New York Supreme Court Justice Sylvia Hinds-Radix presented twenty-one local Excellence-in-Parenting Awards and six national Parent's-Day awards. The local award winners received their awards and posed for pictures with Rev. Moon and Justice Hinds-Radix, after which Mr. Gavin read brief tributes to each National Award winner as each stepped forward to be honored.
The following couples received the 2010 National Parents' Day award: Dr. Rodrigo and Dr. Elma Castillo of Secaucus, New Jersey; Mr. and Mrs. James and Jenelle Davenport of Aurora, Colorado; Mr. and Mrs. Bob and Karen Morehead, of Forrest Lake, Minnesota; Rev. William M. and Mrs. Lillian Robinson, of Manhattan, New York; Dr Joseph Radix and the Honorable Sylvia Hinds-Radix, of Brooklyn, New York; and Pastor Thomas Lee and Cleopatra Barrett, of Chicago, Illinois.
The Awards Ceremony culminated with a special award presented to Rev. In Jin Moon for "Outstanding Parent of the Year." It was evident that she was surprised and honored to receive this special recognition from the National Parents' Day nominating committee. Mr. Gavin said "On behalf of the committee and all of us gathered here tonight, Rev. Moon we thank you for providing a model of what it means to be a great parent. Rev. In Jin Moon, we thank you for providing a parent's heart, a serving heart, to the whole nation. Rev. In Jin Moon, we recognize you as the Outstanding Parent of the year."
The Awards Ceremony concluded with a group photo and a warm applause from the audience for all the award winners. Every award winner received a copy of Rev. Sun Myung Moon's autobiography, A Peace-Loving Global Citizen.
During dinner everyone was entertained by the Lovin' Life Band. Their upbeat set of popular classics had everyone tapping their feet and singing along. Young people filled the dance floor and stood in front of the stage clapping their hands and swaying their arms in tune with the music. Many of the local and national award winners, their friends and family joined them on the dance floor.
After dinner 16 young adults in evening gowns and tuxedos demonstrated ballroom dancing to the delight of everyone. They floated across the dance floor to the sound of classical waltz music. It was a beautiful sight to behold.
All at once the music ended, and they all stepped into the audience and asked our award winners to dance. Soon the floor was filled with many people who waltzed to the music. This was certainly one of the highlights of the evening.
Mr. Hunter, the master of ceremonies, recognized Ms. Ariana Moon, of the Harvard University Dance Club, for the instruction she had provided during the past year to thousands of young people, including the 16 dancers who had just entertained the audience. She graciously accepted a bouquet of flowers.
Preston Moon, the eldest son of Rev. In Jin Moon, danced with several of the guests, including Mrs. Karen Moorhead, a national award winner, while Preston's wife, Krista Moon, danced with Mr. Bob Moorhead. By all accounts, the awardees had a delightful time waltzing with the younger Moon couple.
The young adults who initiated the dance portion of the program continued to dance with guests throughout the evening. More young people and older people alike joined in the celebration of Parents' Day on the dance floor. Mothers were dancing with sons. Fathers were dancing with daughters.
Stanley Brown, who, along with wife Jean, were local parents' day award winners from New York said: "We had a low opinion of the Unification Movement before we came to the program, however, we were really impressed by the awards ceremony, the lively crowd and the Lovin' Life Band. The whole experience was wonderful. We went to our church the next day and told everyone what a great time we experienced at the Parents' Day program."
Award winners, brothers and sisters, families and new friends enjoyed a wonderful evening of food for the mind, food for the body, awards, music and dancing. The 2010 National Parents' Day Awards Banquet was a night to remember.