Paul Williams Coming to Calvin for National Recovery Month

August 4, 2004 == MEDIA ADVISORY

Calvin College and Pathfinder Resources will partner again this September on
an event to raise awareness of substance abuse. In past years the two
organizations have brought speakers to Grand Rapids as part of National
Recovery Month, marked every September.

This year's event - to be held September 16 at 7 pm in the Calvin Fine Arts
Center - will be a little different. Singer and songwriter Paul Williams will
come to Grand Rapids for an evening that will be part concert and part personal
testimony.

Williams is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame who has won Academy,
Grammy and Golden Globe awards. His works have been recorded by a wide range
of artists - everyone from Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra to David Bowie and
Diana Ross. Three Dog Night's version of "Just An Old Fashioned Love Song" has
sold numerous copies around the globe, while Karen Carpenter's rich vocals made
"We've Only Just Begun" famous worldwide (the song was used most recently in
the 2004 Starsky & Hutch movie). In addition Williams has numerous movie and
TV roles to his credit.

But those accomplishments, interesting as they might be, are not why Williams
is coming to West Michigan.

Indeed, although Williams once famously said: "I could find the cure for
cancer, but what people will always remember me for is writing the theme for
The Love Boat," Calvin and Pathfinder officials who arranged for Williams'
upcoming visit say his worth as a speaker goes far beyond that.

Rather it is Williams' work on substance abuse issues that made him an ideal
person to mark Calvin and Pathfinder's annual celebration of National Recovery
Month.

Williams, who will turn 64 just three days after his Calvin appearance, is
both in recovery (almost 15 years) and is a licensed substance abuse counselor.
 He is actively involved with the Musician's Assistance Program and is on the
Board of Directors for Community High School, a sober high school in Nashville,
Tennessee which offers the teens assistance with their recovery.

And he is committed to speaking out on the issue of substance abuse by sharing
both his personal experiences and the education and knowledge he gained through
his studies and certification from UCLA as a licensed drug rehabilitation
counselor.

The event at Calvin will be priced at $20 for just the concert and $40 to
attend both the concert and a pre-event reception with Williams. Ticket sales
began Monday, August 2 at the Calvin College Box Office.

Pathfinder Resources is a nonprofit organization that provides outpatient and
residential substance abuse treatment services to persons throughout West
Michigan. Funds raised from the Williams event will go towards the Client
Assistance Fund, which supports clients who cannot afford to pay for services.

For additional information contact Sandra Upton at 616-243-5129 or see
www.pathf.org.

-end-
Received on Wed Aug 4 13:57:03 2004