“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it, Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.”
~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
This summer, after much thought and encouragement from good friends, I launched the Starfish Leadership Awards. The awards will be presented each year to honor an adult and a young person who exemplify the spirit evoked in “The Starfish,” the endearing story of making a difference made famous by author Loren Eisley in “The Star Thrower.” I revamped the story for my small book, “The Starfish and a Collection of my Favorite Quotations” and share it with you here.
The inaugural award, the 2010 Starfish Leadership Award for Lifetime Achievement, will be presented at the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce annual State of the City luncheon August 27, 2010, at the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort in Carlsbad.
The Starfish Leadership Awards will invite individuals, businesses and organizations to nominate an adult or a young person (under 18 years of age) who has shown an extraordinary commitment to champion and further a worthwhile cause and to inspire, engage and lead others to join in that effort. The Starfish Advisory Panel of dedicated community leaders will review all nominations and grant the awards to our Starfish Leaders.
Each Starfish Leadership Award honoree will receive a 10-inch bronze sculpture on a marble base titled “Starfish, Joyful in Giving,” cast from the original piece created by internationally renowned sculptor Lynn Forbes of Carlsbad. To further honor the award recipient, a contribution will be made to his or her chosen non-profit organization.
The Starfish Leadership Awards program is supported by charter underwriters who wish to join in recognizing leaders who make a difference in our North County communities. These generous underwriters are being acknowledged in Starfish program materials and media releases and each will receive a customized memento in appreciation for their generosity.
For more information, please call Gina McBride at 760-918-9361 or e-mail: [email protected].
The Starfish
By Gina McBride
hrough some freak of nature, thousands of starfish had washed up on the beach overnight. The dawn welcomed the rising sun and the warmth of its glow. But as the day wore on, the sun beat down, drying the air and turning the sand into hot coals, meaning certain death for the starfish.
A young boy running up the beach stops short when he sees all the starfish stranded along the shore. He quickly goes to work. He carefully picks up a starfish, runs to the water's edge and flings the starfish as far as he can into the sea. He goes back to get another one, then another one, racing across the burning sand, racing against time.
After a while, a man comes strolling up the beach, stops the boy and asks,”What are you doing with that starfish?”
The boy catching his breath blurts out, “I'm helping it back into the sea so it will live.”
The man laughs and exclaims, “But how in the world can you make a difference? Look at how many there are.”
And the boy pauses for just a moment, looks down at the starfish gently cradled in his hand and says, “Yes, but it makes a world of difference to this one.”
With that, the man bends down, scoops up a starfish, follows the boy down to the water, and together they return two starfish into the sea.
When the boy and the man run back and carefully gather two more starfish, a young couple jogging along the beach stops them and asks, “What are you doing with those starfish?”
And so it goes…..
~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
This summer, after much thought and encouragement from good friends, I launched the Starfish Leadership Awards. The awards will be presented each year to honor an adult and a young person who exemplify the spirit evoked in “The Starfish,” the endearing story of making a difference made famous by author Loren Eisley in “The Star Thrower.” I revamped the story for my small book, “The Starfish and a Collection of my Favorite Quotations” and share it with you here.
The inaugural award, the 2010 Starfish Leadership Award for Lifetime Achievement, will be presented at the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce annual State of the City luncheon August 27, 2010, at the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort in Carlsbad.
The Starfish Leadership Awards will invite individuals, businesses and organizations to nominate an adult or a young person (under 18 years of age) who has shown an extraordinary commitment to champion and further a worthwhile cause and to inspire, engage and lead others to join in that effort. The Starfish Advisory Panel of dedicated community leaders will review all nominations and grant the awards to our Starfish Leaders.
Each Starfish Leadership Award honoree will receive a 10-inch bronze sculpture on a marble base titled “Starfish, Joyful in Giving,” cast from the original piece created by internationally renowned sculptor Lynn Forbes of Carlsbad. To further honor the award recipient, a contribution will be made to his or her chosen non-profit organization.
The Starfish Leadership Awards program is supported by charter underwriters who wish to join in recognizing leaders who make a difference in our North County communities. These generous underwriters are being acknowledged in Starfish program materials and media releases and each will receive a customized memento in appreciation for their generosity.
For more information, please call Gina McBride at 760-918-9361 or e-mail: [email protected].
The Starfish
By Gina McBride
hrough some freak of nature, thousands of starfish had washed up on the beach overnight. The dawn welcomed the rising sun and the warmth of its glow. But as the day wore on, the sun beat down, drying the air and turning the sand into hot coals, meaning certain death for the starfish.
A young boy running up the beach stops short when he sees all the starfish stranded along the shore. He quickly goes to work. He carefully picks up a starfish, runs to the water's edge and flings the starfish as far as he can into the sea. He goes back to get another one, then another one, racing across the burning sand, racing against time.
After a while, a man comes strolling up the beach, stops the boy and asks,”What are you doing with that starfish?”
The boy catching his breath blurts out, “I'm helping it back into the sea so it will live.”
The man laughs and exclaims, “But how in the world can you make a difference? Look at how many there are.”
And the boy pauses for just a moment, looks down at the starfish gently cradled in his hand and says, “Yes, but it makes a world of difference to this one.”
With that, the man bends down, scoops up a starfish, follows the boy down to the water, and together they return two starfish into the sea.
When the boy and the man run back and carefully gather two more starfish, a young couple jogging along the beach stops them and asks, “What are you doing with those starfish?”
And so it goes…..