For Immediate Release
September 3, 2008
WTTW and Motorola Honor Abraham Lincoln's Legacy
Motorola Grant Program Awards WTTW $25,000
Chicago, IL - WTTW, America's most-watched public television station, today announced that it will receive a $25,000 grant from the Motorola Foundation. This grant will allow WTTW to produce and air Abraham Lincoln's Illinois – video segments that explore and celebrate Lincoln's life and career, highlighting lesser-known stories about the 16th president's life in Illinois.
The $750,000 Motorola Abraham Lincoln grant program funds projects developed by civic, education and cultural organizations that champion the lessons of Lincoln's life. Endorsed by the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, this is the only corporate grant program that invites non-profit organizations from across the country to apply for support for their innovative programming to honor the 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birth.
"Thanks to Motorola's support we will be able to celebrate the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln in style," said Dan Schmidt, President and CEO of WTTW. "We hope to provide our viewers with a unique perspective on his formative years in Illinois, showing how life in our state helped him to become one of the most eloquent, influential, and effective leaders in American history," he added.
The Abraham Lincoln in Illinois segments will be narrated by Chicagoan and Grammy-winning composer, pianist and jazz legend Ramsey Lewis, who can currently be heard on his own daily morning program on Chicago's WNUA-FM. Previously, Mr. Lewis hosted WTTW's national public television series Legends of Jazz with Ramsey Lewis.
"WTTW has developed an exemplary program that will engage the community in what we hope will be an enduring conversation about the lessons of Lincoln's life," said Eileen Sweeney, director of the Motorola Foundation. "All of our grantees have the opportunity to inspire the next generation of great leaders."
Motorola has demonstrated a long-standing dedication to funding innovative education programs. In 2007, Motorola and Motorola Foundation provided $11.1 million to support education initiatives. The company also seeks to foster connections between grantees and stakeholders to create a community devoted to enhancing education opportunities available to students around the globe.
About WTTW
For more than 50 years, audiences have turned to WTTW11 for distinctive programming that informs, inspires, educates and entertains. It reaches two million weekly viewers over a four-state area, making it the most-watched public television station in America. Recognized for its award-winning local and national productions, WTTW11 is committed to presenting the very best in cultural, nature, science, public affairs and children's programming across its four distinct television channels: WTTW11, WTTWD, its Spanish-language channel V-me, and WTTW Create. For further information about all of its media platforms, please visit www.wttw.com.
About the Motorola Foundation
The Motorola Foundation is the charitable and philanthropic arm of Motorola. With employees located around the globe, Motorola seeks to benefit the communities where it operates. The company achieves this by making strategic grants, forging strong community partnerships, fostering innovation and engaging stakeholders. The Motorola Foundation focuses its funding on education, especially science, technology, engineering and math programming. For more information, on Motorola Corporate and Foundation giving, visit www.motorola.com/giving.
MOTOROLA and the Stylized M Logo are registered in the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. All other product or service names are the property of their respective owners. © Motorola, Inc. 2007. All rights reserved.
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