Untitled Document

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Romney Snyder, ABILITY Awareness
(800) 859-1335 or (949) 854-8700 ext 307

Romney@ABILITYawareness.org
Steve Potts, PAC RIM
(808) 956-753
prinfo@hawaii.edu

Star-studded Event is “Raisin' the Roof” for Hawaii's First ABILITY House

Costa Mesa, CA: March 1, 2006 —Local, national and international celebrities and performers will descend on the Waikiki Sheraton Hotel & Resort on March 14, 2006, to help raise the roof of Hawaii's first ABILITY House. The event is sponsored by ABILITY Magazine and the Pacific Rim Conference which is being presented by the University of Hawaii at Manoa's Center for Disabilities Studies.

“Raisin' the Roof ," an All-Star salute to the ABILITY House program, will be a variety show featuring celebrity performers from both Hawaii and the mainland. Max Gail, co-star of ABC's highly reviewed Sons and Daughters (and best-known from his role as Barney Miller 's “Wojo”) will perform a selection of his original songs. Miss Universe Natalie Glebova will share her talent as a classical pianist. Mark Goffeney, an Emmy-nominated guitarist and singer (known as “Big Toe” because he plays guitar with his feet) will perform, and actor John Siciliano will stage a dramatic/comedic excerpt from his Off-Off-Broadway production Siciliano. The evening will feature the comedic stylings of Jeff Charlebois, hula dance by Miss Deaf Hawaii Rellie-Ann Garin, and a vocal performance by Miss Hawaii Malika Dudley. American Idol finalist Jordan Segundo will bring down the house as we Raise the Roof! Rounding out the celebrity line-up is Hawaii 's own Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, who will serve as the evening's celebrity emcee. Special guests include famed island photographer Kim Taylor Reece and Chet Cooper, editor-in-chief of ABILITY Magazine and former publisher of National Lampoon.

“Raisin' the Roof” will benefit ABILITY Awareness' hallmark ABILITY House program. In partnership with Honolulu Habitat for Humanity, ABILITY Awareness is building an ABILITY House for the Kamaiopili family, a grandmother who has degenerative back disease and her three adopted grandchildren. The ABILITY House will include numerous features to make this home accessible to Ms. Kamaiopili, such as a no-step entrance, accessible bathroom and wider hallways. Most importantly, the ABILITY House build will invite volunteers with all ranges of disabilities and health conditions to help raise the roof of this home.

In addition to some of the best entertainment Hawaii has seen, the evening will also feature a silent auction, succulent dinner and exclusive VIP reception. Individual, corporate and “Dining with the Stars” tables are now for sale. Call now as space is limited and tickets are going fast! For ticket information or sales, call (800) 859-1335 or email info@abilityawareness.org .

With a combined print and online readership of more than one million people, ABILITY Magazine is an award-winning national publication distributed by Time Warner that explores health, wellness and human potential. ABILITY Magazine uses celebrity interviews, in-depth articles, humor and fun to provide new insight into our individual levels of ability. Featured interviews have included former president Bill Clinton, first ladies Laura Bush and Rosalynn Carter, Elizabeth Taylor, Cher, Christopher Reeve, Montel Williams, Jane Pauley and Fran Drescher, to name a very few. Senators Tom Harkin and Chuck Grassley contribute regular columns, and several other political leaders have joined them in taking advantage of the publication's broad audience. http://www.abilitymagazine.com

ABILITY Awareness is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for people with disabilities through housing, employment, education, media and volunteer opportunities. Its hallmark program is the ABILITY House project. Built in partnership with Habitat for Humanity, each ABILITY House is an accessible home built for a family with health conditions or disabilities. Additionally, the program reaches out to volunteers with disabilities to help build the homes, demonstrating to the community their skills, talents and potential as volunteers and employees. The ABILITY House program was recognized by President George W. Bush with the President's Community Volunteer Award, the nation's highest award for volunteer service. http://www.abilityhouse.com

With its beginnings dating back to 1985, the Pacific Rim Conference has evolved into one of the top rated international educational offerings for and from persons with disabilities, family members, researchers, service providers, policymakers and nationally recognized professionals in the various disciplines in the diverse field of disabilities. Pac Rim continues to provide cutting-edge opportunities to learn from one another, share resources and ideas that support the quality of life, community inclusion, and self-determination for all persons with disabilities and their families and help shape our world community. http://www.pacrim.hawaii.edu

Max Gail is currently starring as Wendal Halbert on the new ABC comedy Sons & Daughters. Known to many as “Wojo” from the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning series Barney Miller, Gail has worked in films, TV and theater for many years. His one-man Broadway play about Babe Ruth has been a PBS favorite. He has produced a number of documentary pieces on environmental and Native American issues. With a passion for music and poetry—he has recorded an album of songs and has a book of poetry in the works—Gail will be performing a selection of his original music.

Twenty-three-year-old Natalie Glebova of Toronto, Canada , has spent her time as Miss Universe increasing awareness about HIV/AIDS and the research needed to find a cure. Her reign began with a highly publicized trip to South Africa, where she publicly took an HIV test, setting an example for the world of the importance of getting tested. A rhythmic gymnast throughout her childhood and adolescence, she is also a classical pianist and composer and has studied at the Professional Music School in Russia. She recently received her bachelor's degree in marketing and information technology management from Ryerson University .

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa got his first big break as an actor when he was cast in Bernardo Bertolucci's feature film The Last Emperor (1987) and most recently appeared in Memoirs of a Geisha. A U.S. Army brat, he was stationed at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina; Ft. Polk, Louisiana; and Ft. Hood , Texas His mother was an actress from Tokyo. The family finally settled in Southern California, where Tagawa began acting in high school. He has recently been coaching the martial artist portraying Shang Tsung in the Mortal Kombat Live Tour and is developing his new form of martial arts, called "Chun Shin."

Actor and Paralympian John Siciliano, recent guest-star as Kenneth Bin Al-Waleed on Showtime's hit series Sleeper Cell, has been seen from the New York stage to the big screen and on everyone's favorite shows including Scrubs, ER, Over There, LAX and the daytime drama Days of Our Lives. After his solo performance piece “Lost and Found,” a glimpsing retrospective of his life, received national exposure on 60 Minutes, it became the seed for the Off-Off Broadway production Siciliano, a full-length play based on his life. Siciliano is currently being developed into a full-length feature film.

Mark “Big Toe” Goffeney is a native San Diegan who has achieved ongoing success as a guitarist, vocalist, speaker and television personality. Born without arms, Goffeney picks and strums with his feet instead. He has performed in venues from California to Europe and has opened for Lee Ann Rimes. Recently he completed his first CD, produced by Steve Dudas (known for work with Aerosmith and Ozzy Osbourne). He has co-hosted nearly 100 telethons working with celebrities including Monte Hall, Kathy Lee Gifford, Glenn Campbell and many others, and he received an Emmy nomination for his principal role in the Fox Network commercial “Feet.”.

In 2002, Jordan Segundo's dream to become a professional in the music business led him to the American Idol auditions in Los Angeles. Auditioning with over 75,000 singers from across the nation, Segundo earned the judges' nod of approval and was chosen as one of the 32 finalists, gaining national recognition and loyal support from his home state of Hawaii. Recent highlights in his career have been singing for President Bush at a banquet in Hawaii, performing at the L.A. Lakers games, singing with Kenny Loggins at his CD release party and performing with The Honolulu Symphony.

As a comedian and comic writer, Jeff Charlebois performs across the United States . He has appeared on numerous television shows and has been featured in over 200 newspapers articles and Post Office “Most Wanted” ads. After he was paralyzed in a car accident in 1979, Charlebois turned his tragedy positive, learning the art of what he likes to call “sit-down comedy.” Charlebois now lives in Los Angeles, where he writes sitcoms, comedy sketches, screenplays, radio commercials and computer game dialogues. He has recently published a humor book.

The charming Miss Hawaii Malika Dudley won Miss Congeniality at the Miss America pageant in Las Vegas. A graduate student in speech at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the multifaceted Dudley dabbles in a broad range of activities and seems to excel at them all. She holds a black belt in Wado Kai Karate, serves as a bouncer at a local club, surfs and sings.

Kim Taylor Reece, Hawaii 's foremost fine art photographer, has been studying hula kahiko for nearly 25 years. A catalyst of Hawaii 's cultural Renaissance, his photography captures the mystery and magic of this dance, which for generations has excited the imaginations of people around the world. Over the years, Reece has received 15 Pele Awards (communication and arts), Kahili Awards (HVCB), Print Magazine Awards, Travel Journalism Awards and National Community Service Awards. His images have been acquired by collectors, dignitaries and museums internationally. He studied art at California State University-Long Beach, where because of his color-blindness he was told to "change majors or be a starving artist". Now he uses his unique perspective to his advantage in capturing the subtleties of the kahiko in black and white.