25TH ANNIVERSARY OF HANDS ACROSS AMERICA COMMEMORATED WITH EVENT
AND NEW DOMESTIC GRANTS COMMITMENT OF $100,000

Long Beach, CA; May 25th-Inspired by the actions, spirit and generosity of the 6,000,000 Americans who stood in the Hands Across America line in 1986 to focus attention on the problems of hunger and homelessness in America, scores of participants, organizers and activists joined the Board of Directors of United Support of Artists for Africa (USA for Africa) in commemorating the largest single community event and gathering in U.S. history when they gathered today at the Western terminus of the 1986 Hands Across America line, the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA.

The group gathered together—and recreated the 15 minute Hands Across America ceremony as they clasped hands and sang "We Are The World" and "Hands Across America" anthem. And then they looked from the past to the future as they called for continued effort to solve the pernicious problems of hunger and homelessness that plague America still, 25 years later. Following the recreation, a forum on the issues of hunger and homelessness, from 1985 until the present was conducted featuring a panel of activists and experts.

"This is not a celebration because the problems still exist," said Larry Weinberg, the member of the USA for Africa board of directors who chaired the event. "It is a commemoration intended to use the warm memories so many people have for "Hands" to focus again on the need to commit to action in these areas."

Participants included Ken Kragen, founding chairman of USA for Africa and the lead organizer of Hands Across America; Marty Rogol, the founding executive director of USA for Africa; Fred Droz, the national director of the Hands Across America project; Nancy and Andy Bossov, a couple that interrupted their wedding to join the HAA line in Cherry Hill, New Jersey; more than a dozen HAA staffers and state directors; the board of directors of USA for Africa and its executive director, Marcia Thomas, and a number of current activists and service providers in the field.

"That we did something special in 1986 is undeniable," noted Ken Kragen, "But the simple fact is that these problems still affect millions of Americans and we can't just look back in celebration, we must look forward to the challenges ahead."

"Today we announce a new commitment of $100,000 for domestic grants to be made by June 30th of this year," said Lloyd Greig, the chairman of the board of USA for Africa. "That is our way of saying we remain committed to helping solve problems here in the United States."

"Since its inception in 1985, USA for Africa has raised and distributed more than $100 million," noted Marcia Thomas, the organization's executive director since 1987. "The 1986 Hands Across America event enabled us to give more than $20,000,000 in grants domestically in 1987 alone. And while royalties from "We Are The World"—the major source of revenue for our organization—is a fraction of what it once was, we still serve our mission of helping to build local institutional capacity to fight hunger, homelessness and poverty in Africa and in the United States."

Ms. Thomas noted that USA for Africa went beyond its traditional focus on Africa and the United States and made gifts to aid Haitians after the 2010 earthquake there and again in 2011 to help in Japan after the catastrophic events that occurred there.

The "Hunger, Homelessness and Poverty Issues Forum" that was held following the commemorative event was designed "to shift peoples' focus forward to the problems to be faced today, tomorrow and in the future," according to Marty Rogol who served as the panel's moderator. He was joined by Bill Ayers of WHY Hunger; Ruth Schwartz of the Shelter Partnership, Steve Cummings of UCLA and Megan Fitzgerald of the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness.

"We looked back for fifteen minutes today in order to be inspired by the hope, optimism and inspiration we take from the generosity of those 6,000,000 people in line twenty five years ago, " Weinberg added. "But we are using that example and those feelings to commit to the needs that exist today."

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