For Immediate Release

4th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina on Saturday

August 29th Events to Commemorate the Gulf Coast Tragedy and Bumpy Road to Recovery

WASHINGTON, DC – Thousands will gather to commemorate the fourth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s landfall this Saturday, August 29th and take stock of the region’s progress toward recovery. Activity highlights will include artwork, music, memorial services and volunteer opportunities as Gulf residents, those displaced and those simply acting out of solidarity and goodwill are gathering to ensure America never forgets Katrina and its aftermath.

Although New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin has said that the city’s official commemoration should focus on the “city’s progress,” http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/08/new_orleans_mayor_ray_nagin_to.html many of the commemorative events hope to shine a spotlight on ways recovery has been stalled

“The anniversary has become an important milestone for all of us to look back and reflect on what really happened in our communities and why,” says New Orleans activist Corlita Mahr. “With more than 100,000 families still trying to get back and thousands here in the region homeless and jobless, this is no time for patting ourselves on the back.”

As resources dwindle and many of the communities hardest hit have yet to receive significant aid or public investment, residents are still hopeful that change will come to the Gulf. “President Obama spent a significant part of his campaign talking about how his Administration would make recovery in the region a priority,” says Jaribu Hill of the Mississippi Workers Center for Human Rights. “We are doing our part – rebuilding, working together with coalitions of workers and their families, making a way out of no way as our grandparents would say. Now, we need the Administration to do its part.”

Commemoration activities will culminate on August 29th with events organized by such diverse groups as the city of Biloxi, local churches, community groups and Tulane University students. “Commemorations are a way of celebrating how far we’ve come. That part is important but we are also still striving -- to live in dignity, for our rights as human beings,” Mahr says, “It all comes down to the basics.”

The web site www.katrinaaction.org has served as a clearing house to distribute information and updates. On the site the public can join the Katrina Information Network (KIN) and support efforts to move the recovery process forward. In-depth information regarding issues and policy matters including letters, legislation and links are also accessible. KIN can be followed on both Facebook and Twitter. Note that a listing of available contacts and scheduled activities follows for your convenience.
ABOUT THE KATRINA INFORMATION NETWORK –The Katrina Information Network (KIN) is a collaboration of groups in the Gulf and across the country that have come together to focus public pressure on a just recovery for the Gulf Coast region. KIN provides technical assistance to support media reporting on the region and acts as a communication vehicle to ensure factual information is available to the public. For more information please visit www.katrinaaction.org.