Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Two Medal of Honor recipients – a man whose life was saved by a Zippo lighter, and the man known as the “real” Forrest Gump – will be honored at the Zippo/Case Museum on Veterans Day. The two American heroes will install special Medal of Honor commemorative lighter and knife sets at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at the museum. Harold Fritz was leading a column of heavily armored vehicles through Quan Loi in 1969 when they were ambushed by North Vietnamese fighters. Thrown from his vehicle, Fritz led a point-blank charge on the enemy and was hit several times by shrapnel and small-arm rounds. One particular blow on the left side of his chest knocked him down. He was evacuated by helicopter, but when he returned to the battlefield later that day, he found a Zippo lighter that had been given to him as a going away present by his wife. It had been in his left breast pocket, where it stopped the bullet that would otherwise have killed him. Fritz received his Medal of Honor from President Nixon in ...

A St. Bonaventure alum took home the top prize at Monday’s Blaisdell Pro Am Invitational at the Pennhills Club in Bradford. Chris Stoddard was awarded the $6,000 cash prize and trophy by Zippo owner and Chairman of the Board George B. Duke at the banquet following the tournament. Stoddard’s team, composed of amateur golfers Mike Tarbox, Scott Tanabe, and Paul Kessel, each took home a $400 cash prize for their winning team score of 115. The Blaisdell Pro Am, sponsored by Zippo, drew 26 PGA pros from the Western New York Professional Golf Association, along with 78 amateurs, competing for the $20,000 in prize money available. “The day was perfect and the Pennhills course is outstanding,” said WNY PGA Executive Director Joe Bertino. “Our pros were really excited to get out here, and all the teams played exceptionally well.” The Blaisdell Pro Am was held to honor Zippo founder George G. Blaisdell, who loved the game of golf and the club he helped found, the Pennhills Club...

By SANDY RHODES When Micah Irwin crossed the finish line of Saturday's Willow Creek Triathlon, he was not alone. Actually far from it. There was the announcement over the PA system, "Welcome to Willow Creek." There were the two lines of veterans clapping and eagerly waiting to shake his hand. And then there was the image of Irwin's grandfather on the front of the 24-year-old's T-shirt. "I did this in memory of my grandfather (Ralph French) who was a World War II veteran," the Bradford man said. "He passed away a few years ago. Irwin was one of 290 who participated in the ninth annual triathlon that this year raised $40,139 for the transportation funds of the Disabled American Veterans of Mckean and Warren counties. This year's event surpassed last year's donation by more than $10,000. The nine-year total is more than $151,000. All of the proceeds help local veterans. The funds are earmarked to help with transportation - making su...

W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery continued its 125th anniversary celebration today by holding a picnic lunch for its employees and unveiling a custom made knife that is now on display in the Zippo/Case Museum on a pedestal that carries the names of all the current Case employees. Zippo/Case President CEO Greg Booth joked about how happy he was to find his name on the display. "I made the cut," he said. As for the knife itself, Zippo/Case owner George Duke simply said, "That is great. Fantastic." Artisan Mike DuBois crafted the special knife. Case Director of Marketing John Sullivan said today’s events were designed as a thank you to the company’s dedicated employees. Sullivan also noted that the community is a big part of Case’s success, which is why the “Thank you, Bradford” message is on the sign at the Davis and Main Street intersection. The Case factory on Owens Way is currently going through a $10 million renovation which, Sullivan says, will keep the com...

Jaden and Tayga Griffin, with help from their grandfather Greg Booth, cut the ribbon on the Ashley Booth Griffin CARE for Children Center this afternoon. Looking on are CARE Executive Director Tina Martin, Zippo owner George Duke, Aaron Griffin, Cherie Booth and CARE board president Mick Marshall. Duke donated $1 million to CARE, which expedited the building project, which had been in the works for several years. Booth is president and CEO of Zippo and W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery. It was Duke's idea to name the building in honor of Booth's daughter, who died in a car accident in 2008. In his remarks today, Booth said although his daughter was physically at the dedication, she was there in spirit. You can see more pictures of today's dedication on WESB's Facebook page . The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Futures Rehabilitation Center, Inc. held its annual meeting at the Center on Dec. 11 during which time board members reviewed the Agency’s 2011/2012 fiscal year operations. During the meeting, several board members were reappointed to serve three-year terms beginning January 2013. Those included, Sara Andrews, Susan Evans, Nancy Leonard, Katharine Pude and George Duke. Officers for the coming year are: Ron Orris, chairman; Richard Johnson, vice chairman; Marcia Avey, treasurer; Ross Neidich, secretary and Robert Esch, past chairman. Management team members gave a power point presentation to the board on their service areas. President and CEO William Leven provided an overview of the Agency along with program and fiscal results for the last fiscal year. The agency’s annual report, detailing program and financial results of the fiscal year was distributed to the board of directors. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

CARE for Children reached another milestone in the construction of the Ashley Booth Griffin CARE for Children Center Monday, as the organization held the groundbreaking ceremony for the facility. The Center, which will be close to 10,000 square feet, will meet the existing needs of CARE, but will also allow for continued growth, ensuring the organization will be the premier provider of services for children in McKean County. After committing a $1 million lead gift, Mr. George Duke, Owner and Chairman of Zippo Manufacturing Company, determined that the project be named for Ashley Booth Griffin, daughter of Zippo President and CEO Greg Booth and his wife, Cherie, who passed away in 2008. “It was like divine inspiration,” said Mr. Duke of the idea to honor Ashley and her family. “This building will add credibility to the works of CARE, bring focus to the organization, and help it remain self-sustaining over the long-term.” “We have prayed ever since Ashley’s passing that our daughter’s d...

Ground broken for Ashley Booth Griffin CARE for Children Center Zippo owner and president of the board George Duke talks about why he decided to donate $1 million to CARE for Children for their new building, and how he decided it should be named the Ashley Booth Griffin CARE for Children Center. Zippo president and CEO Greg Booth talks about his daughter Ashley, who died in a car accident nearly four years ago, and shows off an artists' rendering of the new buildng. He gives his granddaughter Jaden Griffin some tips on groundbreaking while CARE's Mandi Wilton Davis helps Tayga Griffin with her hard hat. Pictured after the groundbreaking, CARE board president Mick Marshall, CARE executive director Tina Martin, George Duke, Ashley's husband Aaron Griffin, Tayga Griffin, Jaden Griffin, Cherie Booth, Greg Booth. Bob Cummins Construction will be building the new center and expects to have it finished in about a year. You can listen to the groundbreaking ceremony here . WESB phot...

Jaden and Tayga Griffin, daughters of Ashley and Aaron Griffin, break ground this morning for the Ashley Booth Griffin CARE for Children Center on East Main Street. They're getting a little help from their grandfather Greg Booth (Ashley's father) as CARE board president Mick Marshall looks on. Booth is president and CEO of Zippo, and company owner George Duke donated $1 million toward the new center. We'll have more on this story later this afternoon. WESB photo The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Zippo owner and Chairman of the Board George Duke places the 500 millionth lighter in its permament spot in the Zippo/Case Museum. He said his grandfather, founder George G. Blaisdell, would not have believed the company would reach this milestone. Listen here . The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Zippo owner and Chairman of the Board George Duke lights the 500 millionth Zippo lighter this morning, about an hour after it came off the assembly line and was engraved. As Duke lit the milestone lighter, all the Zippo employees and guests held their lighters high. As the wind started blowing Duke quipped, "It's a good thing they're windproof." More photos and information will be coming later today. WESB photos The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

WASHINGTON, D.C. – May 17, 2012 – Today, Zippo®, maker of the world famous windproof lighter with the lifetime guarantee, was presented with the President’s prestigious “E Star” Award by U.S. Commerce Secretary John Bryson. Zippo owner and chairman of the board, George Duke, received the award on behalf of the company at a ceremony which took place at the White House in Washington, D.C. First established in 1961, the President’s “E” Awards are the highest recognition any U.S. entity may receive for making a significant contribution to the expansion of U.S. exports. Ena Garay, Zippo's Director of International Business Development, also attended the ceremony "We are deeply honored to have been recognized by the United States government for our continued expansion efforts, especially as we celebrate our 80th anniversary and approach the manufacture of our 500 Millionth windproof lighter,” said Duke. “While we strengthen our international presence and create jobs domestically, it...

By Stephanie Timblin Senior Communications Specialist Upper Allegheny Health System Zippo has been heating things up for 80 years. Now they’re doing it large-scale, with a $750,000 donation to Bradford Regional Medical Center (BRMC) to modernize the hospital's boiler plant. "We are extremely grateful to George Duke and Zippo for this very significant gift to our community hospital," said Timothy J. Finan, president and CEO of Bradford Regional Medical Center and its parent company, Upper Allegheny Health System. "Zippo and members of the Blaisdell family have a long history of tremendous generosity to BRMC and the community. Their notable giving over the decades has made so many things possible at BRMC,” Finan said. “Zippo’s faith and confidence in the hospital means so much to all of us. It is both motivational and inspirational in terms of our desire to work even harder to provide our community with high quality and personalized health care." George Duke, Zip...

Ashley Booth Griffin CARE for Children Center to be established When Ashley Booth Griffin died in a tragic car accident nearly four years ago, out of the grief, shock, and utter devastation that followed came the hope that she would not be forgotten. Her parents, Greg and Cherie Booth, wanted to keep her memory alive for her two young daughters and all whose lives she had touched. George Duke, owner and chairman of Zippo Manufacturing Company, has secured that dream with a $1 million donation to CARE for Children to establish the Ashley Booth Griffin CARE for Children Center. “The generosity of Zippo, George Duke and the Blaisdell family is astounding. This donation is not just an investment in CARE for Children’s building project, but will ensure that CARE can continue to positively impact and change local children’s lives,” said Mick Marshall, president CARE for Children board of directors. Since 1924 - first as the McKean County Society for Crippled Children, later as McKean County...

By SANDRA RHODES Given its track record, odds are the Derby Gala will deliver a night of fun for a great cause. This year's gala is set to start at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at the Pennhills Club. The Derby Gala, set to coincide with the running of the Kentucky Derby, benefits the Endowment Fund for the Bradford Area Public Library. "You will enjoy an evening of great food, wonderful company and exciting fun, said Karen Pecht, co-chairwoman of the event. This includes watching the Kentucky Derby on large-screen TVs, a hat parade and the auction of an exclusive Zippo lighter, which is actually a set of four lighters set together as a puzzle to depict a horse race scene. "Once again Zippo has gone above and beyond to support the BAPL Endowment Fund and this fund raiser ... every part of these lighters screams Kentucky Derby," Pecht said. Bides for the lighter set, which includes a framed autographed photograph of George Duke, owner of Zippo and chairman of the board, with the...

By Kimberly Marcott Weinberg Assistant Director of Communications and Marketing For a moment Sunday afternoon, opera legend Marilyn Horne presented an alternate scenario for not only the city of Bradford, but also for herself. Speaking to the media before addressing the largest graduating class in University of Pittsburgh at Bradford history, she wondered if perhaps her family might have stayed in Bradford had Pitt-Bradford existed in 1945. She later touched on the same idea during her speech to the graduates. “Who would have thought when I left in 1945, that I’d be back speaking to the graduating class at Pitt-Bradford, which didn’t even exist at the time,” she said, explaining that her family left Bradford when she was 11 in part to seek an affordable higher education for her and her sister, Gloria. She also spoke about her personal history with her hometown. Although she has graced the world’s most important stages, her first performan...

George B. Duke, owner of Zippo Manufacturing Co. and a generous benefactor at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, will receive the university’s highest honor at this year’s commencement ceremony. Duke will receive the Presidential Medal of Distinction from Dr. Livingston Alexander, president, at the commencement exercises, which will be held at 2 p.m. May 1, in the KOA Arena of the Sport and Fitness Center. “Presenting the medal to George Duke is an honor I look forward to with much anticipation,” Alexander said. “His generosity is legendary, and we at Pitt-Bradford are fortunate to have been the beneficiary of his philanthropy on numerous occasions. This is yet another opportunity to both say ‘thank you’ and place the spotlight on his generosity.” Duke said, “I am very honored to receive the Presidential Medal of Distinction from the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. To follow in the footsteps of the past recipients of this eno...

The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford has received a $350,000 gift from George Duke in honor of his mother, Sarah B. Dorn, for a 17-rank pipe organ in the campus’s new chapel. “The exquisite Schantz organ was the missing element in an otherwise perfectly designed and beautifully built chapel,” said Dr. Livingston Alexander, president of Pitt-Bradford. “We’re deeply grateful to Mr. Duke for enabling us to acquire the instrument and name it in honor of Mrs. Sarah Dorn.” Flue voicers Stephen Leslie and Jeffrey Herr of Schantz Organ Co. spent several weeks on campus doing the final voicing and tuning for the instrument, which was installed late last month. Each of the organ’s 1,020 pipes is an individual instrument that must be voiced and tuned on site. The pipes can produce notes from 32 cycles per second to 16,000 cycles per second, a range of eight octaves, essentially allowing one person to reproduce an orchestra. Different ranks of pipes are crea...