Ridgefield will honor the contributions of two leaders of the evolving struggle to broaden voting rights, slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and women’s rights activist the late Alice Paul with back-to-back celebrations next week — Dr. King Monday afternoon starting at 3 in the Ridgefield Playhouse and Alice Paul on Tuesday morning at 10:30 in town hall.
Kevin and Elaine Cox chosen for Spirit of Dr. King award
At Monday’s event, longtime Ridgefield philanthropists Kevin and Elaine Cox will be presented with the 2016 Ridgefield Spirit of Dr. King Public Service Award as part of the town’s 20th annual town celebration of the national holiday honoring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. The free event will be full of song and the spoken word, including a performance by vocalist Luke Wade of The Voice television show. Others who’ll take the playhouse stage include the Ridgefield Chorale, Cantor Deborah Katchko-Gray of Temple Shearith Israel and the TSI Singers, Kimberly Wilson, and A Better Chance of Ridgefield scholars Da’Misi Adetona, Catherine Crespo and Tony Chadwell.
The Spirit of Dr. King Public Service Award is part of the event each year, and Kevin and Elaine Cox were selected for their dedication to and support of numerous causes in Ridgefield and Fairfield County. They’ve been involved with Ability Beyond Disability, the Women’s Center, the Hord Foundation, the Ridgefield Playhouse, SPHERE, and many other charities and service organizations.
“There aren’t many organizations in Ridgefield that they haven’t touched,” said First Selectman Rudy Marconi.
“They exemplify all of the traits that Dr. King stood for: generosity, empathy, kindness, and altruism. Kevin and Elaine Cox are not only generous with donations, but just as importantly, they give of their time and get deeply involved in every organization they are a part of.”
The honorees are chosen each year through the collaboration of Mark Robinson, founder of Ridgefield’s Martin Luther King Day celebration, First Selectman Marconi, and Ridgefield Playhouse Director Allison Stockel.
“Our town is blessed with many wonderful people who care about their community, so it’s always a very positive discussion,” Robinson said. “When we choose an honoree, it is very important that we look beyond a person’s financial generosity and identify someone who has invested themselves personally, given their own time and energy to help fellow Ridgefielders. Kevin and Elaine Cox certainly embody that standard. They are people who step up and make a difference.”
“They really are kind, down-to-earth, selfless people,” said Stockel. “Writing a check is a big deal and it’s great that they do that, but in addition to doing that, the amount of time they give — they give of themselves.
“They’ve just been involved in so many things,” she said. “Like the Hord Foundation, which has given scholarships to the girls at A Better Chance. She’s the president of the board of directors of the Women’s Center. Ability Beyond Disability — they’ve been tremendously involved with that. Obviously, the Ridgefield Playhouse, they’ve been very involved with us, which has been great.”
Luke Wade
Music also has a traditional role in Ridgefield’s King Day celebration, but organizers are particularly excited this year about the performance by Luke Wade, the recording artist known for his appearances on television’s The Voice and such songs as Holding Back the Years, Have a Little Faith in Me, and most recently the classic Ain’t No Mountain High Enough — which he did as a duet with another former Voice contestant, Mia Z, as a breast cancer fund-raiser.
Wade, who performed at the 50th anniversary celebration of the the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights march in Alabama, is scheduled to be in New York City for the Association of Performing Arts Presenters Conference, which runs from Jan. 15 to 19.
Stockel said Wade’s agent had checked in with the Playhouse since the singer had enjoyed his previous visit and performance in Ridgefield. When Stockel described the Martin Luther King Day celebration, the response was enthusiastic.
“The agent said, ‘Oh my God, he’d love to do that. He sang at the march on Selma with Patti LaBelle,’” Stockel said.
“I’m excited that he’s coming and wants to do it,” she said. “I think it’s a great thing to have this particular year, given that it’s the 20th anniversary.”
As is traditional, the King Day event will include some reflections from both First Selectman Marconi and Robinson, who have collaborated to organize the annual event for two decades now.
Robinson said the anniversary took him by surprise.
“Until just a few weeks ago, I hadn’t realized that we had reached our 20th anniversary. It was an emotional moment for me to realize how far we have come,” Robinson said. “I am tremendously grateful for what we have accomplished. The two things that mean a great deal to me are, one, how much the ceremony has grown over the years and how it is still continuing to grow; two, how the ceremony has become an enduring tradition for our community, something that will carry on long after I am no longer an official part of it.”
More information about the Martin Luther King Jr. event is available from the Ridgefield Playhouse box office at 203-438-5795 or ridgefieldplayhouse.org. The Ridgefield Playhouse is a nonprofit performing arts center located at 80 East Ridge.
Alice Paul Day will honor the fight for women’s right to vote
Ridgefield’s sixth annual Alice Paul Day will be observed with a program organized by the League of Women Voters on Tuesday, Jan. 19, starting at 10:30 in town hall — and the event will be followed by a series of programs in town on women’s contributions during March, Women’s History Month.
League President Marilyn Carroll described Tuesday’s plans.
“First Selectman Rudy Marconi will honor former Ridgefielder Alice Paul, one of the most influential women in America, who led the successful fight for women’s right to vote, and championed equal rights for women her entire life, by presenting the league with the Alice Paul Day proclamation,” Carroll said.
“After learning a little about ‘Alice’ we’ll have the opportunity to hear Mr. Marconi talk about Ridgefield and some of the interesting things being planned and investigated by citizen committees and local officials that we know our members and other Ridgefielders want to hear about. It will also be a great opportunity for citizens to ask Mr. Marconi questions about the issues affecting Ridgefield today and in the future.”
A number of events honoring prominent women will follow during Women’s History Month in March.
The Ridgefield Library will host an exhibit from the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame called “We Fight for Roses, Too” from March 9 to 21.
“This exhibit is dedicated to the stories, struggles and achievements of inductees from the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame who have shaped the culture and society of Connecticut and the nation,” Carroll said.
“Rather than focus solely on the photographs of each of the inductees, this exhibit showcases images that highlight the struggle of each woman’s actions as a means of further reminding audiences that the quest for women’s equality has not been an easy battle.”
There’ll be an Opening Reception/Family Day at the library on March 12 from 1 to 5 p.m. with events scheduled throughout the day, including a talk by Ridgefield historian Jack Sanders and a Scavenger Hunt/Trivia Challenge for people of all ages.
The last event in the series will be “Powerful Voices: Connecticut Women Changing Democracy,” an interactive multimedia program at the Ridgefield Library on March 16 at 7 p.m. It’s presented by the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame and focuses on exploring the inspirational stories of suffrage advocates like Ridgefield’s own Alice Paul and Isabella Beecher Hooker, as well as prominent female firsts like Ella Grasso and Denise Nappier and social activists like Helen Keller, Anne Stanback and Estelle Griswold.
“We hope that these programs will educate all Ridgefielders about the women who have contributed so much to our town, state and country,” Carroll said, “and inspire women, men and children to do what they can to make a difference in their community and do what all League of Women Voters hope to do, which is to ‘Make Democracy Work!’ All of these programs are free and open to the public.”
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