Behind-The-Scenes at Giants Stadium and Governor's Island for Liberty Weekend

Opening Ceremonies Dress Rehearsal

In 1986, as the renovation completed on the Statue of Liberty for her 100th birthday, a group known as the College All-American Marching Band or Liberty Band for short, spent twelve plus hours a day rehearsing and practicing. 

Liberty Weekend and The College All-American Marching Band

This is a fun time of the year. Summer is officially digging in and Fourth of July is just around the corner. Years ago, back in 1986 to be exact, the Statue of Liberty enjoyed a special Fourth of July weekend. After 100 years of salt water and weather wearing away at her exterior, Lady Liberty underwent an extensive facelift. 

The re-dedication party lasted from July 3rd through the 6th, with a series of concerts, performances, fireworks and celebrities. The television network, ABC, bid on exclusive rights to the production and they did not disappoint. 

So what does all this have to do with me? 

Helping Libraries and Schools in the Northeast that were Devastated by Hurricane Sandy

I recently took part in a very cool charity movement. Author K.S. Brooks established the group Indie Authors for Hurricane Sandy. After the tragedy of Hurricane Sandy, many libraries lost all resources. More than 70 independent authors and publishers from around the world have come together to donate fiction and non-fiction books and eBooks to those public libraries and schools in need. 

"This is a way to give back to these communities, and let them know that they have not been forgotten," said project founder and author K.S. Brooks, a native New Yorker now living in Washington State.

Having gone through several hurricanes, including the biggie, Hurricane Andrew in Miami, I know what it's like to pick up the pieces following a storm of this magnitude. I was looking for a way to get involved and this was the perfect solution. 

My novel, The Card, has been shipped to library systems and school districts throughout New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to help restore the content of those facilities. With baseball season right around the corner, teens in the Northeast can forget about the tragedy and get lost in an adventure with Van Stone.

This project is ongoing, for more information you can visit http://www.ksbrooks.com/AuthorsforHurricaneSandyLibraries.htm







Look for the sequel to The Card, by Jim Devitt , coming in 2013!