Boffa and Associates To Manage PR For National Transportation Coalition

May 5, 2011
Inquiries To: John Boffa (202) 234-5758

Washington, DC—Boffa and Associates is managing the national public relations campaign for the American Crisis in Transportation Coalition.

The coalition was formed this year to build public awareness of the funding shortfall in America’s transportation system, in anticipation of the debate in Congress over the nation’s next surface transportation bill.

The coalition will use as its guiding document the final report of the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission. That commission identified a $225 billion annual shortfall in transportation funding. Roads and bridges are deteriorating at an alarming rate. Transit systems on which millions of Americans depend to get to work are experiencing serious funding shortfalls. The federal gasoline tax, which funds the Interstate Highway System and party funds transit systems, has not been increased since 1993. The coalition will call for a phased-in increase of 40 cents a gallon over the next few years.

The coalition was founded by former Wisconsin Secretary of Transportation Frank Busalacchi, and is funded by private companies and trade associations with a stake in the future of the nation’s transportation system.

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Value of Op-Ed Columns Stressed in Influencing Decision Makers

November 8, 2010
Inquiries To: John Boffa (202) 234-5758

Washington, DC—The editorial pages of daily newspapers remain an important vehicle to influence public opinion. And, the op-ed columns (short for “opposite the editorial page”) remain an important opportunity for any organization to get its opinion known to an influential audience, at low cost.

Clients often wonder how to get their points of view known to members of Congress, members of state legislatures and top leaders in federal and state agencies.

Throughout Congressional offices, staff members comb through the pages of the daily newspapers that circulate in their districts. The print and online versions of newspapers remain important indicators of what is on the voters' minds. It is within these pages that publishers voice their opinions on important issues, and where readers voice their opinions through letters to the editor. And on the op-ed pages, space is reserved for influential individuals with expertise in specific subject areas to share their opinions on important issues.

The first op-ed page initiated by a large daily newspaper appeared in The New York Times in 1970. Over the next two years major daily newspapers throughout the country added their own op-ed pages.

In the years that followed, op-ed pages grew to be among the best-read pages in newspapers. More importantly, they are followed closely by important decision makers, and thus are an important means to reach those in power.

Whether they are read in print or online editions, op-ed columns persuade those who craft important legislation and regulations at the federal, state and local levels.

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States for Passenger Rail Coalition Signs New Contract for Fifth Year With Boffa and Associates

October 29, 2009
Inquiries To: John Boffa (202) 234-5758

Washington, DC—The States for Passenger Rail Coalition (www.s4prc.org) has for the fifth year retained Boffa and Associates to manage its national public relations efforts.

Established in early 2000, the coalition is an alliance of state departments of transportation that supports intercity passenger rail expansion initiatives, and advocates for federal funding of these initiatives. In 2010, there will be a strong emphasis on expanding intercity passenger rail’s capacity, as rapidly growing numbers of people choose to travel by rail. The coalition also will make a strong case for increased funding for passenger rail service as the surface transportation bill comes up for reauthorization.

Boffa and Associates is charged with making the coalition and its goals better known, and helping expand its membership, which now numbers 31 states.

"We look forward to continuing to promote the goals of the States for Passenger Rail Coalition," John Boffa, president of Boffa and Associates said. " Highway and airline congestion continues to be a major transportation challenge. Congress needs to make sure passenger rail has the capacity to handle future passenger growth. That will require new investments in equipment and infrastructure."

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Boffa and Associates Offering Social Media Techniques To Help Clients Engage Audiences

June 15, 2009
Inquiries To: John Boffa (202) 234-5758

Washington, DC—To keep clients current with the most effective ways to communicate, Boffa and Associates is adding new social media techniques to its menu of services.

“The term 'social media' has come into wider use in the past year, and involves many applications of the Internet,” John Boffa, president of Boffa and Associates, said. “As more people search for information on the Internet, we want to be sure our clients will be found there.”

Some of the new applications Boffa and Associates is offering include RSS Feeds, YouTube, Twitter (a great way to broadcast information concisely), online discussion forums, and blogs.

The most important element of social media techniques is their ability to allow clients to engage in a dialogue with the audiences they need to reach. These techniques draw key audiences into a deeper level of communication with the organizations that are trying to reach them.

Boffa and Associates will continue to offer every traditional means of communication.

“Print will not disappear, just as trucks did not make trains disappear,” Boffa said. “But for an organization to expand its presence, new media approaches must be used along with traditional print approaches.”

To discuss how your organization can expand its reach through social media approaches, e-mail jboffa@boffapr.com or call (202) 234-5758.

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Boffa and Associates Expects 2009 To Be Highly Active Year for Transportation

January 5, 2009
Inquiries To: John Boffa (202) 234-5758

Washington, DC—The staff of Boffa and Associates, with decades of combined experience in transportation, predicts 2009 will be a year of high activity and multiple, large undertakings to solve wide-ranging challenges in transportation in the United States.

Boffa and Associates has a high concentration of clients in the transportation arena, particularly rail clients.

“For many years, the transportation system in America has been underfunded, and in many areas has deteriorated significantly,” John Boffa, president of Boffa and Associates, said. “This problem of underfunding, combined with the value of transportation spending in creating good-paying jobs in a recession, means a highly active year for transportation projects on all levels.”

The following developments can be expected:

• An increase in the federal gasoline tax. The tax, currently at 18.4 cents per gallon, has not been increased since 1993. Inflation has seriously eroded the value of the tax. Last year, the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission recommended increasing the tax from 20 to 40 cents a gallon. The commission was a client of Boffa and Associates in 2008. Look for the tax to increase by at least 10 cents a gallon in 2009.
• Transportation projects will be used to help spur economic growth. With unemployment hovering near 7 percent, transportation projects will be a significant source of job creation. It is estimated that for every $1 billion spent on transportation projects, 30,000 new, good-paying jobs are created.
• Transportation spending will favor all modes. In many parts of the country, there is no more land to build more lanes of highways. Look for rail projects to be used increasingly to solve congestion problems in major metropolitan areas across the country.
• Congestion reduction projects will gain renewed emphasis. Although the slow economy of 2008 saw some reduction in highway congestion in the United States, the problem of congestion is as inevitable as the ongoing increase in the nation's population. Watch for more creative solutions to congestion to emerge, like congestion pricing, which prices highway travel consistent with traffic volume. The new Office of Innovative Program Delivery in the Federal Highway Administration will be an originator of many of these initiatives.
  

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States for Passenger Rail Coalition Signs New Contract for Fourth Year With Boffa and Associates

October 17, 2008
Inquiries To: John Boffa (202) 234-5758

Washington, DC—The States for Passenger Rail Coalition (www.s4prc.org) has for the fourth year retained Boffa and Associates to manage its national public relations efforts.

Established in early 2000, the coalition is an alliance of state departments of transportation that supports intercity passenger rail expansion initiatives, and advocates for federal funding of these initiatives. In 2009, there will be a strong emphasis on expanding intercity passenger rail’s capacity, as rapidly growing numbers of people choose to travel by rail.

Membership is available to state departments or agencies that oversee the official transportation responsibilities for a state or territory.

Boffa and Associates is charged with making the coalition and its goals better known, and helping expand its membership, which now numbers 31 states.

"We look forward to continuing to promote the goals of the States for Passenger Rail Coalition," John Boffa, president of Boffa and Associates said. " Highway and airline congestion continues to worsen, and oil prices continue to rise. The challenge now is to make sure passenger rail has the capacity to handle the growing numbers of passengers. That will require new investments in equipment and infrastructure."

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Boffa and Associates Developing Educational Materials On Benefits of Passenger Rail Service

April 25, 2008
Inquiries To: John Boffa (202) 234-5758

Washington, DC—Boffa and Associates is developing a series of brochures outlining the multiple benefits of passenger rail service.

The series describes passenger rail service’s benefits in areas of environmental and energy savings advantages, and economic development benefits.

Rail is widely regarded as an efficient user of energy, creating a lower environmental impact than other forms of transportation. In the economic arena, train stations are considered a major stimulus of economic activity, ranging from retail development to jobs creation, in the immediate vicinity of stations. In addition, with ridership growing and trains operating at capacity, rail will also create a greater need for building new equipment by the passenger rail car industry.

The work is being done on behalf of the States for Passenger Rail Coalition, and will be posted on the coalition’s web site: www.s4prc.org.

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Boffa and Associates Expands Services, Adding Financial/Management Consulting

February 4, 2008
Inquiries To: John Boffa (202) 234-5758

Washington, DC—Boffa and Associates is adding a new dimension to its range of services with the addition of financial and management consulting.

The purpose of this new service is two-fold. Many clients, when formulating legislative or regulatory proposals, need financial analysis to make the case for what they are proposing. Secondly, many clients frequently need management and financial advice to assist in the successful operation of their businesses.

The expansion into financial and management consulting is made possible by the addition of a new associate, Richard Doege.

Dr. Doege began his career as consulting economist for Price Waterhouse in Chicago. He then became corporate economist for the Control Data Corporation in Minneapolis. Subsequent assignments at Control Data were acquisitions and mergers and the government contracts division. Further, Dr. Doege headed a software development firm, a health insurance company, a consumer product manufacturing company, and two telecommunications companies.

Dr. Doege served as legislative counsel in the US House of Representatives, and has been fellow and research director at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard.

Dr. Doege holds a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University. He was appointed visiting scholar at the Harvard Law School. He holds a PhD in economics as well as MBA and MPA degrees.

He now teaches postgraduate economics at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore.

“Dr. Doege’s wide experience in consulting, executive management, and in government made him a valuable resource for our firm and our clients,” John Boffa, president of Boffa and Associates, said.

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States for Passenger Rail Coalition Renews Contract for Third Year With Boffa and Associates

October 18, 2007
Inquiries To: John Boffa (202) 234-5758

Washington, DC—The States for Passenger Rail Coalition (www.s4prc.org) has for the third year retained Boffa and Associates to manage its national public relations efforts.

Established in early 2000, the coalition is an alliance of state departments of transportation that supports intercity passenger rail expansion initiatives, and advocates for federal funding of these initiatives.

Membership is available to state departments or agencies that oversee the official transportation responsibilities for a state or territory.

Boffa and Associates is charged with making the coalition and its goals better known, and helping expand its membership, which now numbers 28 states.

"We look forward to continuing to promote the goals of the States for Passenger Rail Coalition," John Boffa, president of Boffa and Associates said. "As highway and airline congestion continues to worsen, and oil prices continue to rise, it is inevitable rail will play a greater role in America’s transportation system."

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Sparhawk Corporation Retains Boffa and Associates To Head Public Relations Initiatives

July 13, 2007
Inquiries To: John Boffa (202) 234-5758

Washington, DC—Sparhawk Corporation, the nation’s leading E-Fundraising Mall company, has retained Boffa and Associates to manage its public relations campaigns.

Sparhawk, based in Pennsylvania, creates and maintains online shopping sites that enable organizations to significantly boost their fundraising capabilities. Each time a shopper buys from a retailer with an online site created by Sparhawk, a percentage of the purchase automatically goes to the organization.

Most recently, Sparhawk created an E-Fundraising Mall for Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD). The web address of the E-Fundraising Mall is www.sadd-emall.com

The online mall created for SADD is expected to generate $7 million in new contributions to SADD over the next year.

Major, reputable retailers like Macy’s and Barnes and Noble are featured on the E-Fundraising Mall sites.

"Sparhawk will make a major leap in growth this year, and we are pleased to be part of their leap forward," John Boffa, president of Boffa and Associates, said.

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States for Passenger Rail Coalition Renews Contract for Second Year With Boffa and Associates

September 19, 2006
Inquiries To: John Boffa (202) 234-5758

Washington, DC—The States for Passenger Rail Coaliton (www.s4prc.org) has for the second year retained Boffa and Associates to manage its national public relations efforts.

Established in early 2000, the coalition is an alliance of state departments of transportation that supports intercity passenger rail initiatives and advocates for federal funding of these initiatives.

Membership is available to state departments or agencies that oversee the official transportation responsibilities for a state or territory.

Boffa and Associates is charged with making the coalition better known, and helping expand its membership, which now numbers 28 states.

"We look forward to continuing to promote the goals of the States for Passenger Rail Coalition," John Boffa, president of Boffa and Associates said. "As highway congestion worsens, and air security measures make airline travel more difficult, it is inevitable rail will play a greater role in America’s transportation system."

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Boffa and Associates To Promote Wireless Service Company

March 6, 2006
Inquiries To: John Boffa (202) 234-5758

Washington, DC—Site Link Wireless, a wireless industry support company, has hired Boffa and Associates to assist in its expansion.

"As wireless communications continue to grow, the challenges associated with building the wireless network will also grow," John Boffa, president of Boffa and Associates said. "Site Link Wireless has the expertise to help the industry expand, and we look forward to marketing their capabilities."

Site Link Wireless is based in Maryland, and is expanding to new markets: New York, Florida and Pennsylvania.

Site Link personnel handle all aspects of building the wireless network, from obtaining building permits to continuous oversight through the construction process. Its staff has significant experience managing the challenges of site development.

Boffa and Associates' first project for Site Link Wireless will be to assist in branding the company, and creating a web site based on the new branding.

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States for Passenger Rail Coalition Hires Boffa and Associates

September 19, 2005
Inquiries To: John Boffa (202) 234-5758

Washington, DC - The States for Passenger Rail Coaliton (www.s4prc.org) has hired Boffa and Associates to manage its national public relations efforts.

Established in early 2000, the coalition is an alliance of state departments of transportation that supports intercity passenger rail initiatives and advocates for federal funding of these initiatives.

Membership is available to state departments or agencies that oversee the official transportation responsibilities for a state or territory.

Boffa and Associates is charged with making the coalition better known, and helping expand its membership, which now numbers 26 states.

"We look forward to helping States for Passenger rail meet its goals," John Boffa, president of Boffa and Associates said. "As gasoline prices rise and highway congestion worsens, it is inevitable rail will play a greater role in America’s transportation system."

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Boffa and Associates Builds National Support For Amtrak Federal Support

August 11, 2005
Inquiries To: John Boffa (202) 234-5758

Washington, DC - Boffa and Associates is managing a national public awareness campaign to help increase federal support for Amtrak in Fiscal Year 2006.

The campaign, which started this spring, involves educating the traveling public, and Congress, about the need for increased federal support to maintain Amtrak’s national passenger rail system.

"Amtrak started the year with a White House proposal which offered no funding for Amtrak operations in 2006," John Boffa, president of Boffa and Associates said. "The most recent figure, from the Senate Appropriations Committee, is $1.45 billion. That’s a tremendous amount of progress in a few months."

Boffa explained that very often constituents are not aware of proposals developed in Washington, and the impact these proposals can have on them.

"Amtrak was in a precarious financial state a few months ago," Boffa said. "We believe our campaign was a wake-up call which mobilized support for Amtrak. Public support for Amtrak is high. Our job is to make the public aware when their action is needed."

The campaign is being funded by the Empire State Passengers Association in New York.

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Boffa and Associates President Speaks on Marketing At National Transportation Conference

January 9, 2005
Inquiries To: John Boffa (202) 234-5758

Washington, DC - Boffa and Associates President John Boffa was a featured speaker today at the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting here. Mr. Boffa spoke at a session titled, "Communication for Research Managers and Administrators."

Mr. Boffa explained to the audience of researchers "The ABCs of Marketing."

"The letter A stands for audience, B stands for benefits, and C stands for communications vehicles," Mr. Boffa said. "All marketing begins with an analysis of the audience you are trying to reach. Then, you have to take an inventory of the benefits of that research so you know how to sell the research to your audience. Finally you need to choose the right communication vehicle—a newsletter, a column in a trade publication, a fact sheet—there are many ways to communicate."

Mr. Boffa said a good audience analysis will determine which communications vehicles to use to reach the audience most effectively.

Researchers are not promoters by nature. However, effective promotion is essential if research is going to be funded, and implemented, Mr. Boffa said.

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Boffa and Associates To Develop ADA Compliant Web Sites

June 7, 2004
Inquiries To: John Boffa (202) 234-5758

Washington, DC - Boffa and Associates is now offering a new service: building web sites which are compliant with Section 508 of the Americans With Disabilities Act.

Section 508 creates a standard demanded by all U.S. government agencies and considered essential by organizations that want to guarantee that their sites can be accessed by individuals with visual disabilities.

Most government agencies are now mandating that their web sites be Section 508 compliant, and that expectation is now moving to the private sector.

"It is vitally important that the millions of individuals who are visually impaired not be denied the ability to view web sites," John Boffa, president of Boffa and Associates said. "We now have the ability to build web sites for the visually impaired, and are pleased to offer this new service to our clients."

To learn more about this new service, call (202) 234-5758.

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Boffa and Associates Begins Campaign To Restore Washington, D.C. Postmark

March 4, 2004
Inquiries To: John Boffa (202) 234-5758

Washington, DC - The following letter appeared this week in The Washington Post:

Missing the Mark in the District

Tuesday, March 2, 2004; Page A20

To The Editor:

It has been more than two years since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and incidents of anthrax being found in U.S. mail. After those events, Washington mail was rerouted for sorting through suburban postal facilities, and the postmark on those letters -- even though they originate in Washington -- became and continues to be a suburban postmark, most often "Suburban MD."

I have nothing against a suburban Maryland postmark. However, Washington has lost its mark of distinction on all mail originating in the nation's capital. It's a matter of local pride, and it helps build "brand recognition," something the city's leaders are continually striving to do. As a homeowner and business owner in Washington, D.C., I'd like to see our postmark restored to all mail originating here.

JOHN BOFFA

Washington

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Boffa and Associates Joins National Press Club

January 23, 2004
Inquiries To: John Boffa (202) 234-5758

Washington, DC - The National Press Club has accepted Boffa and Associates as a member.

"Membership in the press club, one of the world's premier membership organizations for journalists, will provide many benefits to our clients," John Boffa, president of Boffa and Associates said. "Most importantly, it will give us easy access to some of the most important reporters in the world, and enable us to hold press conferences at the club at member rates."

To many of the men and women who belong to the National Press Club today, it is primarily one of the world's foremost news forums, "the sanctum sanctorum of American journalists," as CBS commentator Eric Sevareid said in a memorable retirement appearance at The Club. "It's the Westminster Hall, it's Delphi, it's Mecca," said Sevareid, "the wailing wall (for) everybody in this country having anything to do with the news business; the only hallowed place I know of that's absolutely bursting with irreverence."

The club is conveniently located just a few blocks from Boffa and Associates' downtown offices.

Boffa and Associates is also a member of the Public Relations Society of America, the public relations industry's premier trade association.

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Boffa and Associates Initiates Small Business Incubator

October 9, 2003
Inquiries To: John Boffa (202) 234-5758

Washington, DC - Boffa and Associates has developed small business incubation services for new companies, or solo practitioners, seeking a presence in downtown Washington.

The project involves the following services:

-- Professional office space downtown with short-term leases at affordable rents. Monthly rents start as low at $420 in a building with 24-hour front desk security.

-- Use of a conference room, fax and copying equipment, and word processing services.

-- Access to Boffa and Associates' experienced marketing, editing and event planning expertise for all types of advice, billed on an hourly basis.

"This is an ideal way for a small public relations, marketing or advertising company to gain a presence in the Washington market at a very reasonable cost," John Boffa, president of Boffa and Associates said.

To learn more, call (202) 234-5758 or e-mail
jboffa@boffapr.com
Boffa and Associates
1420 N Street, NW Suite 102
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202) 234-5758
Fax: (202) 234-5759
www.boffapr.com

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Boffa and Associates Moves to New, Larger Offices

March 25, 2003
Inquiries To: John Boffa (202) 234-5758

Washington, DC - To accommodate the company's current and future growth, Boffa and Associates has moved to new office space. Our new address is 1420 N St., NW, Suite 102, Washington, D.C. 20005.

"With this move, we have doubled our office space," John Boffa, president of Boffa and Associates said. "We are now part of a vibrant, growing section of the city just east of Dupont Circle. With this move, we are not just planning for our continued growth, but also demonstrating our commitment to the revitalization of Washington, D.C."

Our phone numbers and address have changed. To look them up, visit the contact page on our web site.

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Boffa and Associates Helps Launch Adoption Consulting Service

September 23, 2002
Inquiries To: John Boffa (202) 234-5758

Washington, DC -Boffa and Associates is proud to help launch Adoption Navigators, a consulting service for people considering adoption.

"The adoption process is full of legal and psychological hurdles," John Boffa, president of Boffa and Associates, said. "Adoption Navigators is a unique new consulting service which can help couples maneuver through the adoption process."

Boffa and Associates designed the web site for Adoption Navigators, and is handling the publicity.

To learn more about Adoption Naviators, go to www.adoptionnavigators.com.

To find out more about our first-rate web design services, call us at (202) 234-5758.

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Boffa and Associates Starts 2002 With European Expansion

January 1, 2002
Inquiries To: John Boffa (202) 234-5758

Washington, DC - Boffa and Associates is expanding its public relations and government relations services to include Europe.

Through an exclusive affiliation with Policy Action, Ltd., with offices in London and Brussels, Boffa and Associates now can provide government monitoring, lobbying and public relations services throughout Europe.

"As the American economy slows, we expect U.S. businesses will seek expansion overseas," John Clarke, director of Policy Action, Ltd. said. The firm has a network of affiliates in key European cities.

"This is a logical next step in our expansion," John Boffa, President of Boffa and Associates said. "We established affiliations in all 50 states several years ago, and now we can service our clients in Europe, a large and rapidly expanding market."

To learn more about our range of overseas services, call (202) 234-5758.

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Destined to Live
by William Ungar
On Sale at Book Stores Now

September 14, 2001
Inquiries To: John Boffa (202) 234-5758

Washington, DC - Destined To Live, the autobiography of William Ungar, and possibly the most profound autobiography to be written this decade, is now available for purchase.

"We are honored to help the launch of this great book by Mr. Ungar," John Boffa, president of Boffa and Associates, said.

Mr. Ungar is a prominent Holocaust survivor. He is the founder and owner of National Envelope Corporation and a founder of the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC.

This moving book is drawing a strong reaction from its reviewers:

Congressman Tom Lantos, the only member of Congress who is a Holocaust Survivor, said the following about Destined to Live:

"Why is William Ungar a hero? The reasons are as many as the growing number of anti-Semitic Holocaust deniers on the Internet who blame the slaughter of six million men, women, and children on a "Jewish conspiracy." Destined to Live--Ungar's moving story of tragedy, survival, rebirth, and renewal--offers a compelling antidote to this poison, words of truth that will long outlive those of us who witnessed first-hand the horrors of the Holocaust.

William Ungar is a hero not because he survived. He is a hero because he has so eloquently channeled the pain of his past into the consciousness of future generations. Destined to Live is a tremendous achievement."

Lyric Wallwork Winik, Contributing Editor, Parade Magazine, and co-author, Run East: Flight From the Holocaust, also reviewed the book and made the following comments:

"A moving memoir, William Ungar's words are not simply a life story, but a powerful life lesson. You will not soon forget the woman he loved, the son he lost, the kindness of a few, the cowardice of many, and Ungar's own fierce struggle to survive. A compelling testimony to the meaning of the life of one man."

To order Destined To Live call 1-800-462-6420. Identify book by ISBN 0-7618-1806-5. Or, visit your nearest Barnes and Noble book store, or order online at Barnes and Noble Online or Amazon.com.

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Boffa and Associates Chosen To Manage PR for AbleLink Technologies

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Kennedy Foundation Retains Boffa and Associates To Promote International Awards

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