10th Year Remembrance

Donate Now Appeal E-News Banner Green

Dear Friends,

October 12 will mark the 10th year remembrance of our son Matthew’s murder. In the years since Dennis and I founded the Matthew Shepard Foundation in his memory, the Foundation has been at the forefront of the fight to replace hate with understanding, compassion and acceptance. During this period, the Foundation has:

– Helped the Matthew Shepard Act pass both the U.S. House and Senate

– Presented “The Legacy of Matthew Shepard” to over 1 million people

– Distributed 5,000 copies of our ‘Small Bear Big Dreams’ education program free of charge

– Given out 200,000+ purple ‘Erase Hate’ wristbands

– Led 2000+ high school and college students in discussions about hate

– Engaged 5000+ people in the ‘Campaign to Erase Hate’

None of these things would have been possible without you, and I want to thank you for your support over the last decade. Each of us is a vehicle for change, and you have shown your commitment to making a difference.

Numerous 10 year remembrance events are planned throughout the country to honor Matthew’s memory. A list of events is available here on our website. Click Here to visit it now.  I hope you will be able to attend one or more of them

This fight for equality is alive and well.  I want to thank you for your continued support.

Thank you,
Judy_Sig_Small
Judy Shepard
Executive Director

Bench Dedication

UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING TO DEDICATE BENCH IN HONOR OF MATTHEW SHEPARD
A Memorial Bench honoring slain University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard will be formally dedicated at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, at Quealy Plaza, located at the east entrance of the UW College of Arts and Sciences Building.
The Matthew Shepard Foundation presented the bench to UW to honor the memory of Matthew, who was murdered 10 years ago, in October, 1998. UW President Tom Buchanan and Judy Shepard, Executive Director of the Foundation and mother of Matthew, will both speak at the ceremony.
The Matthew Shepard Foundation?s goal is to replace hate with understanding, compassion and acceptance. It supports diversity programs in education and helps youth organizations establish environments where young people can feel safe and be themselves.
The organization seeks to educate and enlighten others on the importance of diversity, understanding, compassion, acceptance and respect.

Upcoming Events

UPCOMING EVENTS: 
Artistic Director Bonnie Metzgar Announces Benefit Reading of
“The Laramie Project” presented by About Face Theatre
A star-studded cast joins with members of the community to remember Matthew Shepard on the 10th anniversary of his death; all proceeds go towards About Face Youth Theatre and
The Matthew Shepard Foundation. 
CHICAGO- Artistic Director Bonnie Metzgar, along with new Managing Director Rick Dildine, today announced an upcoming benefit reading of “The Laramie Project” on Monday, October 6th at the Center on Halsted?s Hoover-Leppen Theatre.  This reading of “The Laramie Project,” written by Moisés Kaufman and members of Tectonic Theater Project, will be directed by Tectonic Theater Artists Leigh Fondakowski and Kelli Simpkins, and produced by AFT Artistic Associate Amy Matheny.
The stellar cast includes: Will Allan, Patrick Andrews, Annabel Armour, Daniel Bryant, Scott Duff, Deanna Dunagan, Brian Goodman, Elliot Greenberger, Kyle Hall, Ted Hoerl, Ora Jones, John Judd, Patricia Kane, Keith Kupferer, Amy Matheny, Larry Neumann Jr., Kelli Simpkins, Phil Smith, Penelope Walker, as well as a group of young performers from About Face Youth Theatre.   Click Here to Read More
“The Laramie Project” Benefit Reading Event information
Monday October 6th, 2008
Hoover-Leppen Theatre at Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted, 3rd Floor
Cocktail reception in Hoover-Leppen Theatre lobby at 6pm
“The Laramie Project” reading at 7pm
Regular Tickets are $75 per person and include the cocktail reception, reading, dessert, coffee during intermission.
Special $150 VIP tickets guarantee priority seating and the opportunity to help sponsor an About Face Youth?s participation in a March workshop with the Tectonic Theatre Project.
For ticket information, please visit http://www.aboutfacetheatre.com/
Napa Valley Laramie Project 
Napa Valley College is selected to remember Matthew Shepard at the Napa Opera House.
Napa Valley College is hosting one of two nation wide events featuring Judy Shepard and
a special reading of The Laramie Project in an observance of the 10 years since the death of Matthew
Shepard.  This one night only event will be held on Sunday, October 19, 2008 at the Napa Opera
House at 7:00 pm
Find Out More
Click Here To Purchase Tickets
Randi Driscoll Honors
Randi Driscoll
10 Concerts for $10,000 dollars in honor of the 10 year observance of Matthew Shepard and the ongoing work of the Matthew Shepard Foundation.
Award winning Singer/Songwriter Randi Driscoll, whose song, What Matters has raised more than $40,000 dollars for the Matthew Shepard Foundation,  will perform a series of concerts, in several cities across the United States, to honor the ten year observance of Matthew Shepard?s death, and the growing work of the Foundation started by his parents. Along the way, she will be joined by fabulous musicians, speakers and entertainers. We encourage you to join us and help make a difference !
NEW YORK CITY
“What Matters” A night of music honoring the 10 year observance of Matthew Shepard. All proceeds benefit the Matthew Shepard Foundation. Featuring; Randi Driscoll, Noah Heldman, Dwayne Britton, Josh Zuckerman, David Gurland and Robbie Maitner, with special guest Anthony Rapp (RENT).
Wednesday October 8th
8pm
Metropolitan Room NYC
34 West 22nd St, NY NY 10010
212-206-0440 
Randi Driscoll, NYC
Tickets
VIP  $50 ( preferred seating and gift bags which include autographed cds)
General Admission $25
Click Here For More Information
SAN DIEGO, CA
October 17th, – Private House Concert
NORTH CAROLINA
Friday, November 7th
A CONCERT TO END HATE
North Carolina, Concert Series
Featuring Randi Driscoll, One Voice Chorus and Jason and Demaro
Escondido, CA
Sunday – December, 7th
Randi?s Damn Jingle Ball- Chalice UU
Details TBA
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE A PART OF THIS MUSICAL JOURNEY AND HELP HONOR THE
10 YEAR REMEMBRANCE OF MATTHEW SHEPARD-
please contact us about throwing a small house concert, or private event in your area.
Serious inquiries only please to- randi7@earthlink.net
Grey Line
Events Done to Benefit the Matthew Shepard Foundation
Corpus Christi Play
“CORPUS CHRISTI” RESURRECTED AT RATTLESTICK THEATERPERFORMANCES WILL MARK 10 YEARS SINCE DEATH OF MATTHEW SHEPARD, RAISE FUNDS FOR THE MATTHEW SHEPARD FOUNDATION
 Click Here to Read More
Grey Line
 
EVENTS DEFINING GAY JOURNALISM  FOCUS OF COMMONWEALTH CLUB FORUM    
DATE:  Monday, October 6, 2008 TIME:5:15 p.m.  –  Reception 6:00 p.m.      
PROGRAM: “No Obits? and Matthew Shepard,  Ten years later: A Forum on Gay Journalism”   
WHERE: Commonwealth Club of California  595 Market Street , 2nd Floor   
SPONSORS:  Commonwealth Club of California  National Lesbian, Gay Journalism Association,                   Northern California Chapter   
COST: FREE to Commonwealth Club members $15 to non-members   
October 7, 1998 a Bay Area Reporter headline was featured by Dan Rather on the CBS Evening News.  Earlier that same day, Matthew Shepard was brutally beaten on a quiet Wyoming Road .    Each represented change for a community and how journalism reflected its increased importance in the social fabric of America .  How media covered a decline in AIDS deaths to the homophobic attack and death of Shepard were indications of significant change.       “No Obits” was a Bay Area Reporter headline from the first issue in 17 years when the paper had no obituaries to report.  If it was a time for momentary celebration, it also carried a potential backlash to assume the AIDS crisis was over.    Homophobic violence was certainly nothing new.  Yet, the beating of Matthew Shepard stunned America . The first reports and his death five days later in a Ft. Collins, Colorado hospital were just the beginning. Anti-gay violence became a lead story.    The life and death of gay men, lesbians, bisexual and transgender people was out of the closet.  The frivolity of a parade was replaced by hard hitting stories reflecting real life.  The violence against Matthew Shepard and the CBS feature on the Bay Area Reporter both happened on October 7, 1998.       Now, ten years later, the Commonwealth Club of California and the Northern California Chapter of the National Lesbian, Gay Journalism Association present a forum to examine media changes.       The moderator will be David Lamble.  For almost two decades this broadcasting pioneer covered the gay rights movement as host of “Fruit Punch,” on KPFA.  He also was a talk show host on KGO radio.

Komplete Kettlebells at Lathen Martial Arts, PA

Thanks to everyone who came out to Lathen Martial Arts this past Monday for our Komplete Kettlebell Seminar featuring the’Turkish Get-Up’!

Coming in October … Kettlebell ‘Swings’!

The Laramie Project – Monday, October 13, 2008

Laramie Project Banner
Napa Valley Laramie Project


Randi Driscoll Honors
Randi Driscoll

10 Concerts for $10,000 dollars in honor of the 10 year observance of Matthew Shepard and the ongoing work of the Matthew Shepard Foundation.
Award winning Singer/Songwriter Randi Driscoll, whose song, What Matters has raised more than $40,000 dollars for the Matthew Shepard Foundation,  will perform a series of concerts, in several cities across the United States, to honor the ten year observance of Matthew Shepard’s death, and the growing work of the Foundation started by his parents. Along the way, she will be joined by fabulous musicians, speakers and entertainers. We encourage you to join us and help make a difference !

NEW YORK CITY
“What Matters” A night of music honoring the 10 year observance of Matthew Shepard. All proceeds benefit the Matthew Shepard Foundation. Featuring; Randi Driscoll, Noah Heldman, Dwayne Britton, Josh Zuckerman, David Gurland and Robbie Maitner, with special guest Anthony Rapp (RENT).
Wednesday October 8th
8pm
Metropolitan Room NYC
34 West 22nd St, NY NY 10010
http://www.metropolitanroom.com/
212-206-0440
Tickets
VIP  $50 ( preferred seating and gift bags which include autographed cds)
General Admission $25
Please purchase tickets online at http://www.metropolitanroom.com/ or by calling
212-206-0440

SAN DIEGO, CA
October 17th, – Private House Concert

NORTH CAROLINA
Friday, November 7th
A CONCERT TO END HATE;
Featuring Randi Driscoll, One Voice Chorus and Jason and Demaro
http://www.stophate.org/concert/

Escondido, CA
Sunday – December, 7th
Randi’s Damn Jingle Ball- Chalice UU
Details TBA

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE A PART OF THIS MUSICAL JOURNEY AND HELP HONOR THE
10 YEAR REMEMBRANCE OF MATTHEW SHEPARD-
please contact us about throwing a small house concert, or private event in your area.
Serious inquiries only please to- randi7@earthlink.net