Rush Holt, who will be retiring from the U.S. House of Representatives at the end of 2014, will be honored by the Coalition for Peace Action next month.
Holt will receive the George F. Kennan Distinguished Peace Leadership Award at the Coalition for Peace Action’s 33rd anniversary membership dinner and gathering on Sunday afternoon, June 8, at the MacKay Campus Center at Princeton Theological Seminary.
The Award is the Coalition’s highest honor, and this will be the second time it is being presented in the organization’s 34 year history. Holt will also be the keynote speaker at the event.
Holt is a sponsor of the Coalition for Peace Action and has been a champion for peace legislation throughout his career. He has opposed the Iraq War, pushed for a more rapid exit from Afghanistan, and advocated for sensible gun violence prevention bills.
“We are delighted to offer such a special opportunity to honor Rep. Holt for his strong and consistent leadership for peace legislation, before he leaves his Congressional seat,” said the Rev. Robert Moore, executive director of the Coalition. “We also pleased to salute our volunteer leaders who will be honored for their exemplary leadership for peace. We invite the public to join us on this special occasion.”
The Coalition will honor three volunteer leaders:
– Ed Aguilar, a lawyer who has been volunteer Director of the Coalition for Peace Action Pennsylvania office in Philadelphia since 2010 and has organized numerous successful events and campaigns during that time.
– The Rev. Carlton Branscomb, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Princeton, who has been active programs over the past year, including the annual conference and interfaith service for peace, the Newtown commemoration, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. interfaith service.
– Firoozeh Vali, a leader in the Iranian American community who spearheaded a successful Persian New Year celebration in 2008 and again in March, 2014.
The event will begin with a sponsor reception at 1 p.m., followed by dinner at 2 p.m. The program will begin at 3 p.m.. Tickets are $50 per person, $30 for those on a limited income, $15 for program only. Sponsors are $125 per person. To purchase tickets, visit the Coalition for Peace Action website or call (609) 924-5022. The reservation deadline is May 29.
The Coalition for Peace Action, based in Princeton and founded in 1980, is the largest peace organization in the region, with more than 7,800 member and supporting households and 22 chapter-affiliates in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.