Charity Battling Donor Fatigue, Obama Inauguration

A 38-year-old charity that supplies food to Atlanta's poorest residents has decided to go forward with an annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day dinner despite lowered donations and many volunteers leaving town for the presidential inauguration.

Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless organizers told The Associated Press Wednesday that a lack of donations - including corporate gifts of hams and turkeys - meant the dinner wouldn't take place. Spokeswoman Dee Dee Cocheta later got word that a donation of hams would come through after all. Combined with a modest gift of 216 turkeys Tuesday, it's enough to let the dinner go on.

But the group still faces a struggle. Organizers say many of the staff who would have worked at the dinner will be in Washington for the inauguration.

In related news, President-elect Barack Obama says the inauguration is about more than him, and that it should be about getting all Americans involved in community service.

Obama said Wednesday that his Jan. 20 inauguration should bring the country together to volunteer. He says if everyone rolls up their sleeves, the county will improve. Obama, Vice President-elect Joe Biden and their families will volunteer in the Washington area
Jan. 19.

Obama's aides have posted thousands of volunteer opportunities on a Web site, USAService.org.

(AP)

Click here for more GPB News reports about homelessness and hunger issues in Georgia.

Ga. School Rappers to Perform at Inauguration

A group of students from an inner-city Atlanta private elementary school that scored an Internet hit with a rap about the election is headed to Washington, D.C., to perform during inauguration events.

About 20 students from the Ron Clark Academy will sing their new song, "Dear Obama," during at least four inaugural balls on Jan. 20. At one of the events, the students will share the stage with R&B stars Usher and Patti LaBelle.

The students wrote the new song as a follow-up to their YouTube hit "Vote However U Like," which landed the children on ABC's "Good Morning America," CNN and BET.

Clark wrote the best-selling teaching book "The Essential 55" and who was portrayed by Matthew Perry in the TNT movie "The Ron Clark Story."

The school instructs inner-city fifth- through eighth-graders.

On the Net: Ron Clark Academy: http://www.ronclarkacademy.com/

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Local school band picked for inauguration

Cogdill (top right) with some of the band members. (Dave Bender)

An Atlanta-area high school band has been picked to perform at the presidential inauguration.

Austell’s South Cobb High School marching band will represent Georgia in the parade from the Capitol to the White House following President-elect Barack Obama's swearing in ceremony on January 20.

Band Director Zachary Cogdill made the surprise announcement on Sunday at an awards banquet for the band members:

"They just went nuts! Jumping up and down, hugging, crying..."

Senior Dana Scherer is a drum major with the band, and was stunned by the news:

“I was just so in shock, I was just so overwhelmed - I began to cry. Mr. Cogdill’s announcement was so amazing - I didn’t know whether he was going to tell us yes or no, and it was so overwhelming. It was so cool.”

Sherer’s one of the 95 band members who’ll perform Georgia On My Mind, and Summon The Heroes, which was composed for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Letter of acceptance from the Presidential Inaugural Committee. Click image for larger version. (Dave Bender)

The Presidential Inaugural Committee chose the 2,200-student school from nearly 1,400 applicants.