GRANTS PASS, Ore. , July 30, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- As one of his major 2000 presidential election platforms, George W. Bush initiated a program to assure that there would be "No Child Left Behind" because of economics or below standard educational opportunities. Clearly, included in this initiative are the thousands of children who are endangered of being left behind because of learning disabilities. Their affliction is real, numerous and severe.
Winfield Scott Frazeur IV, a professional photographer for almost 50 years, has been busy recording on film a journal of his life. His plan is to publish this journal, with half the proceeds from the book being donated to a pursuit close to Winfield's heart -- research into the causes of children's learning disabilities. This is a personal crusade for Winfield, and one, which he will fully discuss in his up coming book.
Part of his desire to fulfill his dream is found imbedded in a segment in his photo journal entitled, Political Photography Years, in which he describes his photo encounters with political candidates from 2-County Commissioners, a sheriff, a city mayor, a gubernatorial candidate and a 9-day bus campaign tour through Oregon, 2-state representatives, a state senator, a U.S. Senator, a U.S. Congressman, a current U.S. President and a reference to lost photo opportunities with two previous Presidents of John F. Kennedy and Jimmy Carter. Winfield currently is seeking an opportunity to rectify these missed presidential photo opportunities by photographing George W. Bush during the upcoming presidential campaign in Oregon.
Winfield says he plans to take the money that comes from the sale of the reproductions of the President to support the "No Child Left Behind" initiative by donating a portion of that money to the Lane Education Foundation, Lane County Oregon, which helps funding of educational programs through financial initiatives like the one presented by Winfield and his proposed photo shoot of the President of the United States. Extreme times call for changing your approach says Winfield. We must work "out-of-the-box" and create new methods of financial support for our kids. Winfield hopes that this initiative will catch on and be an example for other businesses and other methods of support. He also is challenging the business community around the country to join in this effort.
About his photo autobiography, Winfield says, "This book is my legacy to encourage future generations, particularly with those whose life struggles seem so overwhelming, and so impossible, who do not yet understand that they can overcome and succeed." In his book, he is going back and re-shooting those people and places photographed by Winfield so many years ago. His search for his first love, a 19-year old flamenco dancer, who he photographed in 1962, will lead him to Spain. After forty years, he is trying to find her to photograph her again. What a story for a reality show... "The worldwide Search for Maria." The winery in Jerez de la Frontera, the mermaid statue in Copenhagen, the Buddha statue in Kamakura, the orphanages in Cadiz and Inchon, are just a few of the proposed re-shoots for his journal.
Winfield's biggest challenge is finding sponsors who will underwrite the cost of travel needed to complete his journal in capturing these historic images, as well as the cost of publication. "The cost of publishing is very expensive," Winfield says, "And I want as much money as possible to go to the kids who need the help I didn't get."
"No child left behind" is not only the passion of the President and his wife, but also for their new friend, Winfield Scott Frazeur IV who is committed to help kids that struggle with the challenges of learning.
Winfield can be reached through his Web site at: http://www.biographyproject.com or by emailing him at sfrazeur@globalphotos.com or by calling him at 541.476.0942.