Rainforest Alliance 14th Annual Benefit

May 19, 2004

Gotham Hall, NY, NY

The 14th Annual Rainforest Alliance gala just took place; its purpose being to honor businesses and leaders in the movement to ensure that the world’s forests continue to thrive. The annual fundraiser and awards banquet draws together environmentalists, progressive companies, celebrities and leaders in the business and diplomatic communities. Among the evening’s honorees will be those who responsibly manage forests in the U.S., Canada and Latin America, and those who responsibly buy and produce the wood products on which people depend

Rainforest Alliance executive director Tensie Whelan was quoted as saying that this year was a highly productive year for the emergence of sustainable forestry as well as sustainability certification for wood, wood products and paper, as major companies ramp up their commitment to make their products more widely available to consumers.

With companies including IKEA, Time Inc. and Kinko’s purchasing certified products, sustainable forestry is having a noticeable impact on the way wood and paper products are produced and brought to market. Mr. Whelan was also quoted as saying that he is thrilled that sustainable forestry has become mainstream and is delighted to be honoring some of the companies and individuals who have made that a reality,

The Rainforest Alliance uses its SmartWood program to work with landowners and timber and paper companies to practice sustainable forestry so that forests still provide the wood we need while enough healthy trees are left for future generations and wildlife. Around the world, SmartWood has certified over 32 million forested acres and over 1,000 operations for meeting its rigorous standards for social and environmental responsibility, up from 25 million acres and 800 operations in September 2003. This significant, global, accelerating trend is increasingly impacting how wood, paper and related goods are produced and brought to market.

Producers, purchasers, retailers and advocates who have fostered the growth of the trend, and who were honored at the gala, included representatives of Anderson-Tully Company; Tembec Inc.; The Precious Woods Group; Klabin S.A.; Domtar Inc; IKEA; FedEx Kinko’s; Jameson French of Northland Forest Products; Sergio Madrid of the Consejo Civil Mexicano para Silvicultura Sostenible; Jonathan E. Martin of Roy O. Martin; Michael Conroy of Yale University; and David Refkin of Time, Inc. They accepted the Rainforest Alliance’s Sustainable Standard-Setter and Green Globe Awards, which are presented annually to individuals and corporations who have made significant contributions to environmental conservation and sustainability.

The program started off with delicious hors d’ oeuvres of all kinds, and was followed by a delicious organic dinner, featuring caper seasoned salmon, accompanied with long, crisp breadsticks, followed by a delicious dessert, custard, in an edible organic chocolate cup.

After dinner, the audience received a warm welcome by Daniel R. Katz and Tensie Whelan. There were then presentations of the Lifetime Achievement Award to Frank A. Dottori, Presdient & CEO of Tembec Inc., a $4 billion (Canadian) forest products company, which practices sustainable boreal and temperate forestry on a huge, commercial, million-acre scale and with five million certified acres has the largest certified area in the Americas.

There was wonderful entertainment, including a woman who performed some very impressive acrobatics from two long, narrow curtains. She was quite amazing. There was also dancing and a duet performance by the group Buglisi/Forman Dance with more awards to follow.

Klabin S.A., a leading pulp and paper producer in Latin America and a major landowner in southwestern Brazil, has in addition to responsible forest management, instituted a host of innovations that support both the environment and local communities.

Domtar Inc. is the only paper and forest products company in North America to have made a public commitment to certifying all 22 million acres of the forests it manages, and the mills and paper merchants it owns.

IKEA and Kinko’s won the Corporate Green Globe Awards. Ikea is helping to drive change throughout the wood products industry with its four-step system to help move suppliers toward forest certification.

We at Liberty News Online Magazine, Bina Venkataraman, the publicist for Rainforest Alliance for inviting us to set up interviews. For more information, please log onto their website at http://www.rainforest-alliance.org

Abbey H. Muneer is the Executive Director of H.A.D. Organization of New York City, Inc., a world-famous athlete, author and, above all, a humanitarian. Abbey will write articles about charity events, benefits, fundraisers and galas which are raising money for humantiarian causes. If you are interested in having Abbey and one his staff members cover one of your charity events, benefits, fundraisers or galas, feel free to notify us one week in advance, at LNEvents@hadofnyc.org, or telephone us at (718) 507-7616, between the hours of 8:00am and 8:00pm e.s.t. and ask to speak to Abbey or Maria. If you would like more information, or would like to have Liberty News Online Magazine consult your next charitable event, please feel free to visit our website, at http://www.hadofnyc.org/store/success.html, email us at humanitarians@hadofnyc.org, or telephone our hotline, at (718) 507-7616, between the hours of 8:00am and 8:00pm e.s.t. (U.S.A.)