Monday, March 1, 2010

CM James, Elected Officials, Musician/Artist Common Gather for Ajile L. Turner Fdtn Donation to MS 113; March 2; 11AM


**For Immediate Release**
March 1, 2010

Peter Tulloch, I See Promotions Inc.
(646) 249-5729
Peter.fortgreenefest@gmail.com

AJILE L. TURNER FUND DONATES KEYBOARD TO
Ronald Edmonds Learning Center - (MS 113), “Going from Good to Great”

Council Member Letitia James, along with Assemblymember Hakeem Jeffries, and Congressman Ed Towns will join Principal Khalek Kirkland and musical artist–rapper Common at 11 am on Tuesday, March 2 - at MS 113 located at 300 Adelphi Street for donation of electronic musical keyboard to Music Director Wayne Winston


(Brooklyn, NY) Ajile L. Turner was a young entrepreneur of thirty-eight years who died in a tragic motorcycle accident during the summer of 2009. Mr. Turner was a pillar of the Fort Greene community in Brooklyn. Ajile fostered a passion for the connection/assimilation and development of music & arts, and the youth of his community.

On Tuesday March 2, 2010, the Ronald Edmonds Learning Center (MS 113), will receive the donation of an electronic musical keyboard from the Ajile L. Turner Scholarship Fund (ALTSF), through the Common Ground Foundation. Sounds from this new keyboard will now add even more to the incredible motivation in place at MS 113, which is fostered by Principal Khalek Kirkland and Music Director Mr. Wayne Winston. The mission of the school is to inspire urban children through the arts, while also developing them as leaders of tomorrow.

The students at MS 113 are offered an accelerated curriculum of fine and performing arts, sciences, technology and foreign language. When the bell rings at MS 113 - Ronald Edmonds Learning Center, the motto that lingers in its halls is “Going from Good to Great!” This musical gift will be presented by Mattie Turner, the Mother of Ajile (Ah-Ja-Lay) L. Turner, Rashid Lynn, actor, and musical artist-rapper Common, who is Ajile’s cousin...to the school’s music department.

As a music and art non-profit the ALTSF understands the challenges that schools face in today's economy. Having worked in the NYC public school system, Ajile's life was largely surrounded by the music and entertainment industry. In the past, donations were given to the school through the Fort Greene Festival, which Ajile was also involved with.

At the untimely passing of Ajile L. Turner, his mother came to NYC from Cleveland, Ohio and felt the love and support of the community at large to keep his dream alive. Mattie Turner met with Congressman Ed Towns, Council Member Letitia James, Assemblymember Hakeem Jeffries and other community leaders, ad well as Fort Greene business owners at that time.

“As the founder of ALTSF and mother of Ajile, in recognizing his love and passion for music and education, it is only befitting that we maintain the relationship between youth, education and the arts,” said Mattie Turner. This partnership will be a continuous one, as the students of MS 113 and Common will perform at the Fort Greene Festival in late June.

Music is a universal language that connects people the world over no matter the genre. Ajile L. Turner lived his life helping artists to speak through their music, and businesses to spread that music throughout the world. His love of the arts, and selfless acts were the hallmarks of his brief life, and these gifts left a positive impact on many others.

Council Member James said: “The Ronald Edmonds Learning Center has excelled in every way, especially within the arts, and through the leadership of its principal and teachers, along with its disciplined students. The school is well-deserving of this gift.”

While the quantity of his life may have not been long, the quality was beyond measure. The vision of the Ajile L. Turner Fund is to celebrate the quality of Ajile's life by empowering young men and women with scholarships, mentoring, and support in their pursuit to make positive connections with others through the art of music, the business of music and selfless acts.

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