Create Theme for 30th Annual National Red Ribbon Week®
MIAMI – The National Family Partnership (NFP) needs your help to decide the official theme for the 30th Annual National Red Ribbon Week ®. The slogan will be used throughout 2015 in thousands of schools and communities across America to promote Red Ribbon Week – the nation’s oldest and largest drug prevention campaign. The winner will also receive $500 worth of Red Ribbon merchandise for their K-12 school.
Rules for Entry:
•    Email your theme idea to redribbon@nfp.org
•    You may also mail it to NFP –  2490 Coral Way, Miami, FL. 33145
•    Include your name, school, phone number and email address.
•    Entries are due no later than Dec. 2, 2014
•    For full details, visit www.RedRibbon.org/enter

A Few Reminders:
•    The 2015 Red Ribbon Week theme will be used in schools and communities throughout the country on banners, large signs, marquees, fences and much more. Keep this is mind when brainstorming.
•    The theme should be relevant to and appropriate for students in Elementary, Middle and High School
•    The theme should be positive. Avoid “just say no” or “don’t” messages.
•    To help get your creative juices flowing, here are themes from the past few years:
⁃    2014: “Love Yourself. Be Drug Free.™”
⁃    2013: “A Healthy Me Is Drug Free.™”
⁃    2012: “The Best Me is Drug Free.™”
⁃    2011: “It’s Up To Me To BE Drug Free.™”

NFP is excited to receive all of your great ideas. The winner of the theme contest will be announced Feb. 2, 2015. Good luck!
To learn more about Red Ribbon Week and the contest, visit www.RedRibbon.org.

Improving economy brings 1.9 million more travelers, consumers pay lowest Thanksgiving gas prices in five years

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – AAA Travel projects 46.3 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home during the Thanksgiving weekend, the highest volume for the holiday since 2007 and a 4.2 percent increase over 2013. Almost 90 percent of travelers (41.3 million) will celebrate the holiday with a road trip and likely will enjoy the lowest Thanksgiving gas prices in five years. The Thanksgiving holiday travel period is defined as Wednesday, November 26 through Sunday, November 30. Football game traffic and shoppers will also add to the number of vehicles on the road in Alabama over the holiday weekend.
Highlights from 2014 Thanksgiving Travel Forecast:
•    Thanksgiving holiday travel volume is expected to reach the highest level since 2007, with 46.3 million Americans taking a trip.
•    The 2014 forecast is 4.2 percent higher than the 44.4 million Americans who traveled last year and the greatest growth rate for any holiday since Independence Day 2012.
•    Road trippers likely will pay the lowest Thanksgiving price for fuel in five years. Today’s national average price of gas is $2.85 per gallon, which is 36 cents lower than the average price for Thanksgiving a year ago ($3.21 per gallon).
•    Today’s state average price of gas is $2.68 per gallon, which is 44 cents lower than the average price for Thanksgiving a year ago ($3.12 per gallon).
•    More than 89 percent of travelers (41.3 million) will travel by automobile, a 4.3 percent increase from 39.6 million last year.
•    Air travel for Thanksgiving is expected to be at the highest level since 2007, with 3.55 million Americans taking to the skies.
•    Travelers will encounter moderately higher prices with airfares 1 percent higher, mid-range hotels up 8 percent and car rentals costing 10 percent more.
•    The average distance traveled this Thanksgiving will be 549 miles roundtrip and Americans will spend an average of $573 during the holiday weekend.
“This year, more Americans will give thanks for the opportunity to travel to friends and family than any year since 2007,” said Clay Ingram, AAA Alabama spokesperson. “Americans are more optimistic about the future as improvements in several key economic factors, including employment, GDP and disposable income, are boosting consumer confidence and the desire to travel.”
“Holiday joy has come early this year with Americans likely to pay the lowest Thanksgiving gas prices since 2009. Lower prices are increasing disposable income and enabling families to carve out more money from household budgets for travel this Thanksgiving,” continued Ingram.

Impact of gasoline prices on travel plans
The national price of gasoline has fallen below $3 per gallon for the first time since Dec. 22, 2010, a welcome gift for travelers as they head into the busy holiday travel season. AAA predicts most U.S. travelers likely will pay the cheapest Thanksgiving gas prices in five years. More than 89 percent (41.3 million) of holiday travelers will drive to their destination, a 4.3 percent increase from 2013.

Travel expenses rise modestly
According to AAA’s Leisure Travel Index, hotel rates for AAA Three Diamond lodgings are expected to increase 8 percent from one year ago with travelers spending an average of $154 per night compared to $142 last year. The average hotel rate for AAA Two Diamond hotels has risen 9 percent with an average cost of $114 per night.  Weekend daily car rental rates will average $55, 10 percent higher than last year. Airfares will only increase 1 percent, with an average discounted round-trip rate of $189 across 40 top domestic routes.

Most of travelers’ budgets go toward transportation, food and shopping
Travelers are expected to spend an average of $573 over the course of their holiday travels. Despite lower average gas prices, travelers are allocating 31 percent of their budgets to fuel transportation. Food and beverage and shopping will account for 22 percent and 20 percent of holiday travel budgets, respectively. Travelers’ spending plans mirror their intended activities this Thanksgiving, with 70 percent of travelers reporting they will enjoy dining during their vacation and 59 percent will go shopping. Eighty-nine percent of travelers plan to spend time with friends and family this Thanksgiving holiday.

by Cheryl Eldridge and wire reports

This week, the Wilderness at the Smokies resort combines the magic of the holiday season with the warm summertime fun of its indoor waterpark for a festive yuletide experience that can’t be found anywhere else.
Special holiday happenings at Wilderness at the Smokies begin on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 27, and include favorites that resort guests have come to look forward to every Christmas season and new family fun in Santa’s Workshop that everyone will enjoy.
My co-worker Cynthia and her grandkids highly recommend this place, whether it’s summer, spring, winter or fall.
This year’s holiday features include:

•     Swimming with Santa – Each Saturday evening, kids of all ages staying at the resort can enjoy a late evening swim with Santa. This unique experience offers a holiday experience unlike anything else,
and Santa’s helpers will be on hand to take photos to capture the memories.
Saturday nights also feature a special storytelling session in Santa’s Workshop after Mr. Claus has left to go splash and swim in the indoor waterpark. Some of Santa’s elves specializing in telling holiday tales will entertain both young and old with their interactive adventures in storyland.
Yuletide carolers will serenade guests upon their arrival to Wilderness at the Smokies every Friday and Saturday, as well as on other select days in the holiday season beginning on Thanksgiving Day.
Santa’s Weekend Wilderness Workshop features a variety of craft activities for children and a cookie decorating station that will tempt everyone’s taste buds. Kids will love creating their own special plate to leave treats for Santa on Christmas Eve, and other activities include crafts, ornaments and festive photo frames that children can keep or give as a gift to someone on their Christmas list. Activities are being offered that will appeal to everyone from toddlers to tweens and older kids.
Wilderness at the Smokies is also a perfect place for children to write their special letters to Santa. The resort staff will make sure that all the special messages get to Old St. Nick so wishes can be made known.

•    NEW in 2014:  A delicious holiday feast is planned at the Thirsty Miner restaurant, complete with a new yuletide menu that will make Grandma proud to start a new tradition. The feast includes favorites like turkey, ham, baked, mashed and sweet potatoes, corn pudding, an assortment of fresh vegetables, and two kinds of dressing, and special menu items including pot roast, popcorn shrimp, spaghetti, ravioli. A special kid’s corner will offer food choices children will enjoy, and apple, pumpkin and pecan pies will round out a delicious meal.

And that’s just the extra holiday fun and activities planned for Wilderness at the Smokies; the resort’s indoor waterpark and the Adventure Forest family activity area both are open every day of the year and offer unique family fun throughout the holidays that are unique to Wilderness at the Smokies. Even if the weather turns winterlike outside during November and December, Wilderness at the Smokies makes holiday vacations weatherproof in its Wild Waterdome indoor waterpark, where it’s always a mid-summer temperature of 84 degrees. Attractions in the waterpark include several thrilling water slides, a giant wave pool, the Smokies Surf Rider, a special toddler area and a play structure with a 750-gallon bucket dump. In Adventure Forest, guests can enjoy lots of dry fun including mini-bowling, a climbing wall, laser tag, black light mini-golf, a mega arcade and much more.
Warm holiday happiness and the warmth of summer fun at the Wilderness at the Smokies indoor waterpark will combine to make special holiday memories for the resort’s visitors, and a special New Year’s Eve celebration in the indoor waterpark is also planned for a one-of-a-kind way to ring in the New Year.
Wilderness at the Smokies offers gift cards for the 2015 season to that person on your gift list who is hard to buy for or who already has everything. Gift cards in any denomination are available by calling toll-free 877-325-WILD (9453) or visiting the resort’s website at www.WildenessAtTheSmokies.com.
I can’t wait to take part in these great activities and more.

BLACK PR WIRE) – SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE) — Raschanda Hall, a 14-year veteran of Business Wire’s media relations team has been promoted to Director of Global Media Relations.
Raschanda has directed Business Wire’s global media relations team through the fast-paced, changing media landscape utilizing her formidable communication skills, understanding of emerging technology and her pioneering social media presence to expand Business Wire’s reach to media and influencers worldwide. Raschanda’s focus is on strategies to further establish and expand Business Wire’s circuit offerings and targeted delivery using the latest technology and communications tools. She has provided Business Wire the advantage in reaching both traditional, online, trade and specialty press and social media audiences around the world. She reports to laura Sturaitis, Business Wire’s EVP Media Relations and Product Services.
“Raschanda’s leadership, extensive industry knowledge and vast network in media and communications has kept Business Wire ahead of trends and in step with the innovations in communications over the years,” said Sturaitis. “She lives it and loves it and we are fortunate to have her leading our media relations team’s efforts by her example.”
Hall is an active member of many journalism and PR industry organizations including the Online News Association, the National Association of Black Journalists, the Publicity Club of Chicago, ColorComm and the National Black Public Relations Society where she serves as Vice President of the Chicago chapter. She is based in Chicago and is a graduate of Dillard University in New Orleans. You can follow Raschanda on Twitter at @RaschandaHall.
In addition, with Hall’s promotion, two other long-time members of the Media Relations team also move up. Pilar Portela-Webb, based in Miami, is promoted to Media Relations Manager, U.S. and Matthew Allinson, based in Seattle is promoted to Media Relations Manager, International, all working closely with Neil Hershberg, Business Wire’s SVP Global Media Relations.
Business Wire’s media relations team covers the world from Business Wire offices in New York, San Francisco, Miami, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Boston, Los Angeles, Toronto, Paris, Frankfurt and Tokyo.

MONTGOMERY – Gov. Robert Bentley has signed a proclamation commending Troy University for its leadership in international education.
The proclamation, signed in conjunction with International Education Week which runs Nov. 17-21, recognized TROY as “Alabama’s International University.” Nearly 800 international students representing 75 different nations are enrolled on the University’s Troy Campus. Some of those students were present for the proclamation signing ceremony in the Old House Chamber of the State Capitol.
“At Troy University, we embrace the mission to prepare our students to be globally competitive, and I don’t believe you can be globally competitive unless you are globally aware,” said Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr., Chancellor. “We must understand the people of the world in order to appreciate them.”
Troy University’s commitment to international education goes well beyond the state and country’s borders. In October, Dr. Hawkins conferred nearly 200 degrees to TROY students studying at three partner institutions in Vietnam. The partnerships with universities in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City began in 2002, and in 2008, TROY became the first U.S. institution to award the baccalaureate degree in Vietnam.
“Given the global nature of higher education, our U.S. universities are more reliant on partnerships with international universities than at any time in our history,” Dr. Hawkins said. “The university of the future will be built on these partnerships.”
TROY is also home to the Confucius Institute, which promotes the study of Chinese language and culture in Alabama and seeks to forge economic ties between the state and China. In 2012, TROY’s Confucius Institute, the only one in Alabama with a statewide mission, was named a Confucius Institute of the Year.
The University has enjoyed a long relationship with higher education institutions in China. In 2000, TROY initiated the 1-2-1 Sino-American Dual Degree program through partnership with Chinese universities. The program enables students at partner institutions to spend their first year studying at their home institution before coming to TROY for their next two years of study. Students then return to their home institution for their final year, and upon graduation, they receive degrees from both their home institutions and TROY.
In 2004, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities joined the partnership with TROY and the China Center for International Education Exchange and used the 1-2-1 program as a model for other AASCU-member schools.
The Governor’s proclamation commended the University’s International Student Cultural Organization for the role it plays on campus and Troy University as a whole for its leadership in the area of international education.
“The International Student Cultural Organization at Troy University is to be commended for its role in bringing people from all nations and cultures together for mutual understanding and appreciation,” the proclamation reads. “Troy University, as Alabama’s International University, is to be commended for its leadership role in international education.”

 2014 Gala and Fundraiser
Ebony Hall and Sheri Falk of WBMA, Alabama’s ABC 33/40 serving as Masters of Ceremonies

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Juanakee Adams Initiative for Excellent Eye Care and Optimum Health announces its Holiday Spectacle 2014 Gala and Fundraiser to be held December 12, at the Harbert Center in downtown Birmingham, Alabama. Please mark your calendars for this fantastic occasion! This is sure to be a fabulous night filled with gourmet food and beverage, music, prizes, and the break-out debut performance of Dr. Juanakee Adams! Tickets are going fast, so get yours NOW.
Dr. Adams has devoted 33 years of service as an optometrist. Since the  founding of our 501©(3) nonprofit  organization in 2010, we  have bolstered  our efforts to give much needed, excellent eye care services to the  underserved and under insured communities within our great city and in the  rural areas of the Black Belt.
Dr. Juanakee Adams was born in Detroit, Mich. She received an Advanced College Preparatory Diploma from John Carroll High School in Birmingham, Ala., a B.A. Degree from Dillard University in New Orleans, La. and a Doctor of Optometry Degree from Indiana University School of Optometry in Bloomington, Ind.
Dr. Adams is the CEO of Adams Eye Care and has been in practice since 1981. She built her practice with little or no advertising budget, relying on speaking engagements, a column in the local newspaper and networking. Dr. Adams’ accomplishments and hard work ethics has allowed her to serve in various capacities across the nation.
Dr. Adams now helps young optometrists launch their careers by serving as a mentor to guide them through the aspects of marketing and managing the business of a private practice. She has been taking monthly medical mission trips with the Spirit of Luke Foundation since 2003 to serve impoverished counties in Alabama’s Black Belt. Dr. Adams also has traveled to Venezuela and Ghana on medical missionary trips.
She continues to be a role model for potential, present, and former optometry students. She is a licensed and ordained minister and member of More Than Conquerors Faith Church. She is a renowned and sought after inspirational speaker and life coach. Dr. Adams acknowledges that “unto much is given, much is required”, therefore, she is always willing to help others; especially, the less fortunate.

The Juanakee Adams Initiative for Excellent Eye Care and Optimum Health:  General Mission: Eye on Optimum Health Through Sight and Service
Vision: Mobilize a team that will increase awareness, accessibility, availability, and affordability to patients that are underserved and uninsured.
Theme: Shining Light On Sight
Goal: To educate patients, identify visual and health problems. Give them tools and connect them to the resources available.
Method: Develop a team approach, combine resources, garner collective strengths, and achieve a greater impact.
Who benefits: It’s a win-win situation: the patients, the health care industry, the community, the nation, the world, the sponsors, and anyone who contributes.
Why: Almost everything we do depends upon how well we see. The eye is the window to the soul, but also the window to the health of the body as well.