Soka University of America's Fourth Annual Peace Gala Features Songwriter Paul Williams - "Celebrating a Vision of Peace" to Provide Scholarship Funds for Students

    ALISO VIEJO, CA, October 02, 2008 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Soka University of America (SUA) today announced that its fourth annual Peace Gala, "Celebrating a Vision of Peace," will take place on the beautiful campus of Soka University of America on Saturday, October 11, 2008. The evening will feature a cocktail party, dinner, silent and live auctions, and feature special guest entertainer, Oscar-, Grammy-, and Golden Globe-winning songwriter Paul Williams. Also, back by popular demand, Patrick Duffy, best known for his role as Bobby Ewing on TV's Dallas, and also as Frank Lambert on the long-running ABC sitcom Step By Step, will be retuning for the fourth consecutive year as Master of Ceremonies. The event will begin at 6 p.m.

Paul Williams is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and is responsible for such enduring pop classics as "Just and Old Fashioned Love Song," We've Only Just Begun" and "The Rainbow Connection." He has also provided the score to a number of motion pictures, and won an Oscar for his collaboration with Barbara Streisand on "Evergreen" from "A Star is Born." In addition, he appeared in numerous roles for movies and TV.

The gala's theme this year is Venice. The d cor will be a fusion of rich jewel tones, lush textures and exotic Venetian carnival masks. To complete the experience, gondolas will be navigating Peace Lake throughout the evening.

Tax-deductible tickets to this enchanting evening are $300. Proceeds of the evening will provide scholarships for Soka University students who come from around the world to experience Soka's unique educational experience founded upon the principles of peace, human rights and the sanctity of life. SUA founder Daisaku Ikeda said, "The ultimate goal of a Soka education is to foster people of character who continuously strive for the greatest good - that of peace."

"During these challenging economic times, the health of our scholarship fund is more important than ever," said Event Co-Chair Dita Shemke. "The money our guests and donors provide through the gala will make it possible for many of our students to successfully continue their Soka education."
This year Soka University was proud to announce that eligible admitted undergraduate students to the BA in Liberal Arts program, whose annual earned family income is $60,000 or less, may receive free tuition (room and board fees still apply).

Soka University is open to top students of all races, nationalities and religions. About half of SUA's students have come from the United States and half from more than 30 other countries. Soka University, Aliso Viejo opened in 2001 and was accredited in 2005 by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

Soka University has graduated four classes, with students admitted to such prestigious graduate schools as Harvard, Yale, Penn, Columbia, Cornell, Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Oxford and Cambridge.

Information on attending the gala is available at www.soka.edu/peacegala, [email protected]; or contact Linda Safran ([email protected]) at 949.480.4072.

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