Health Centers Present Benefit Gospel Concert
to Honor State Senator Dianne Wilkerson

John P. Kee

(AANewswire)Boston - On Friday, October 29th, 2003, at 7:00 pm Whittier Street Health Center will present Gospel Great John P. Kee and the New Life Community Choir in concert at the Berklee Performance Center in Boston. This event, Saving the Health of Our Community Benefit Concert supports the programs and services at Whittier Street Health Center and honors the outstanding achievements of Massachusetts State Senator Dianne Wilkerson.

One of gospel music's greatest artists, John P. Kee has collected as much kudos for his selfless church work ministering to street kids and drug dealers as he has for his riveting music. Five Grammy nominations, 7 Stellar awards, 2 Billboard Music Awards for the number 1 Gospel album and numerous others honors have made John P. Kee a Prince in Gospel Music.

In 1993, she was sworn in as the first African American female to serve in the Massachusetts Senate and is currently the highest ranking Black elected official in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. As the elected official representing the Second Suffolk District, Senator Wilkerson serves on the Senate Ways and Means Committee; the Senate Long Term Debt and Capital Expenditures Committee; the Education, Arts and Humanities Committee; the Election Committee; the Transportation Committee; and the Judiciary Committee. Wilkerson is the Vice Chairperson of the Insurance Committee and the Chair of the State Administration Committee. The Senator is the convener of the Annual 21st Century Black Massachusetts Conference, sits on the Steering Committee for the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law and is a board member for Action for Boston Community Development ("ABCD"). A member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and Morning Star Baptist Church in Dorchester, Senator Wilkerson holds a B.S. in Public Administration from American International College and a J.D. from Boston College Law School. In 1991, she became the first African American female to obtain a partnership in a major Boston law firm.

Whittier Street Health Center is a private, non-profit, independently licensed community health center dedicated to providing high quality, reliable and accessible primary health care and support services for diverse populations to promote wellness and eliminate health and social disparities,. Whittier addresses the health risks and the mortality rates that are advancing at a disproportionate rate in Boston's communities of color with innovative and effective programs as its Diabetes clinic and its Men Health Program the only service of its kind tailored for minority men in New England. This event is to support programs that address health disparities among minority men and women in Boston.

"Because we are dedicated to the ideal that every individual, regardless, of race, age, gender or culture and regardless of their ability to pay, deserves the best health care available and should not be denied services due to budget or any other restrictions, Whittier has embarked on this fundraising endeavor to help ensure the on-going delivery of much needed health care services. We are indeed about the business of Saving the Health of Our Community," says Whittier President and Chief Executive Frederica M. Williams. "Saving the Health Of Our Community Benefit Concert will not only help to raise vital funds for Whittier's programs but also will provide a rare opportunity to celebrate a true a leader in community health and champion in saving the health of our community, State Senator Dianne Wilkerson."

The Benefit Concert will also feature performances from the Boston local Gospel giants, Just 4 Praize, Herencia Bendita and Joyful. The Master of Ceremonies for the evening is Reverend A. Livingston Foxworth, pastor of Grace Church of all Nations in Dorchester.

Tickets for Saving the Health of Our Community Benefit Concert With John P. Kee and the New Life Community Choir, on Friday, October 29th, 2004, 7:00 pm, are $46.50, and $41.50. Special rates for Seniors and Children under 12. Tickets can be purchased by calling TicketMaster (617) 931-2000, at Berklee Performance Center Box Office, 136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston; or at Whittier Street Health Center, 1125 Tremont Street, Boston. For more information, call (617) 989.3224.