The Blair County Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People will hold its annual Freedom Fund Dinner at 6 p.m. Saturday at The Calvin House, Duncansville.
Tickets are $40 per person, which includes a choice of stuffed chicken breast, orange roughy and vegetarian meals.
Reservations must be made by 4 p.m. Wednesday by calling 942-1126, 946-0164 or 944-5390.
The keynote speaker will be Maxine Carter, the former director of the International Civil and Human Rights Department and former assistant to the international president of United Steelworkers (retiring in 2008).
Carter was born in Florida and moved to Pittsburgh with her family at a very young age. She began her career with the Steelworkers as a secretary. She continually earned promotions to new positions and responsibilities.
Her promotions included the position of executive secretary to the international secretary and executive secretary to two international presidents, Lynn R. Williams and George Becker.
In 2001, Carter was promoted to the assistant to the international president, Leo W. Gerard. In 2002, in addition to being an assistant to the president, she was named the director of the civil and human rights department.
Carter is a member of the board of directors of three Steelworker Senior Citizen residential facilities.
She is a lifetime member of the NAACP, and she received the Keeper of the Flame Award in 2007.
She is a national executive council member of the Coalition of the Back Trade Unionists, executive vice president of the Pittsburgh CBTU Chapter, and a recipient of the 2002 CBTU Rising Star Award.
She is a national board member of the A. Philip Randolph Institute, a member of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Coalition of Labor Union Women and a charter member of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the National Congress of Black Women Inc.
"We would like to thank our corporate sponsors and the wonderful people of Blair County for their support,'' said Donald Witherspoon, chapter president.
Awards will be presented to the following people:
n Jaimie Saintil will receive the 2010 Rosa Parks Scholarship Award. The award is sponsored by the Blair County Community Action Agency and Martin Foods.
n Janel Madden will receive the 2010 MLK Scholarship. It is sponsored by Morris Management, Altoona, and the Walmart Distribution Center, Bedford.
n Paige Lightner will receive the 2010 Barack Obama Scholarship. It is sponsored by the Altoona Walmart and Sam's Club.
n Dan Ye will receive the 2010 Dr. Daniel Hale Williams Scholarship. It is sponsored by Hoss's Steak and Sea House, First Commonwealth Bank and the Navasky Foundation.
n The Bishop Guilfoyle High School girls basketball team will receive an award for being the 2010 PIAA Class A state champions. The award is sponsored by Sheetz Inc. and M&T Bank. NAACP also will congratulate Mark Moschella for being the 2009 Associated Press Class A Coach of the Year and Alli Williams for being the 2009 AP?Class A Player of the Year.
n William Lightner will receive the 2010 NAACP Man of the Year Award sponsored by Pepsi-Cola Bottling Group of Altoona and HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Altoona.
n A.J. Schopp, a senior at Tyrone Area High School, will receive the award for being the 2010 PIAA Class AA state wrestling champion. The award is sponsored by the DelGrosso family and Huntingdon Walmart.
n Lucy Johnson will posthumously receive the NAACP 2010 Humanitarian Award sponsored by Coca-Cola Enterprises Bottling Co., Thomas Dickey Law Office and East Freedom Walmart.
n Brady Gehret will receive the 2010 NAACP Outstanding Track and Field Award. He won the 400-yard dash Nike Indoor Nationals and has many track records at AAHS. The award is sponsored by Prime Sirloin Buffet, Duncansville, U.S. Foods and John and Evelyn Shields.
n The NAACP also will recognize U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Matthew N.?Ingham of Altoona, who was killed while serving in Afghanistan.
