In a gentle, well-paced 1 hour and 50 minutes at Plaza Live, Prine delivered a generous assortment of character-driven songs steeped in wisdom, sadness and whimsy. His style has been an influence on such highly skilled contemporary songwriters as Todd Snider, but the best of Prine’s songs mine a deeper array of emotions.

On Saturday, that range was most apparent in an expressive solo acoustic set in the middle of the show. Alone in the spotlight, Prine moved effortlessly from a lilting sing-along on “Sins of Memphisto” into the goofy “Dear Abby” and the poignant portrait of old age, ”Hello In There.”

At age 65, Prine’s singing is characterized by a gruffness that often elevates the intimacy of his musical tales. ”Angel From Montgomery,” a signature song made famous by Bonnie Raitt, unfolded with perfect world weariness as that vulnerable voice was framed by the atmospheric sounds of his two backing musicians.

Bassist Dave Jacques and guitarist Jason Wilber embellished the material with subtle touches such as the bowed upright bass on the fragile ballad “Six O’Clock News” and the ghostly guitar on “Angel From Montgomery.”

Wilber also was a captivating opening act in a 40-minute solo acoustic performance that blended his pretty, occasionally quirky, songs with endearing banter.

For his part, Prine wasn’t as chatty as he had been in his 2008 show at the King Center for the Performing Arts in Melbourne. Maybe that’s because the audience that pretty much filled the theater on Saturday was exceedingly boisterous, shouting out to the singer between — and, sometimes, during — the songs.

It might’ve been hard to get a word in edgewise.

Yet that ultimately left more time for the songs, a fine list that included “Speed of the Sound of Loneliness,” “Paradise,” “Spanish Pipedream” and “Christmas in Prison,” the latter an example of Prine’s knack for merging wistfulness and humor.

He did offer a short introduction to the frisky “Fish and Whistle,” calling it something he wrote “for no good reason whatsoever.”

“It has a couple of truths in it, a lot of lies and it rhymes,” he explained.

On Saturday, that combination again proved that this guy is a timeless troubadour, too.

The Funky Presidents, Snafu, Jim O’Rourke & the Rugs, Eugene & Friends and S.KI.P. will be on the bill for the “Funeral for a Friend Memorial Day Benefit Concert at 8 p.m. Monday at Will’s Pub in Orlando. It’s a $7 donation.

The show is a benefit to help Orlando music fan John “Dude” Downing raise the money needed to help his family with funeral expenses for his cousin, James DeWitt. 

Downing is known for making professional field recordings of shows by local bands, then turning over his work to the bands themselves. All proceeds from this event will be given to the family of Downing’s cousin James DeWitt, a shooting victim.

Yeah, at the moment, it was hard to imagine how Lucero’s meat-and-potatoes mixture of rock, country and Memphis-style R&B could compete with the hourlong, high-energy, New Orleans street-party offered by the Soul Rebels.

Yet, somehow, the wildly diverse elements all came together to yield a generous, emotionally charged show with more than its share of high points.

Soul Rebels, a brass band that carries on and expands the tradition of such Big Easy legends at the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, specializes in hitching its brassy style to pop songs  such as the Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams Are Made of This.”

That song and the boisterous cover of Stevie Wonder’s “I Wish” were powered by the explosive drums-and-tuba rhythm section that makes so much of the Soul Rebels material so infectiously irresistible.

In songs such as “504,”  ”Turn It Up” and ”Night People,” the Rebels embraced hip-hop and demonstrated effortless showmanship with the band members’ occasional loose-limbed choreography.

(It was also cool to see the band introduced on stage by their manager, Adam Shipley, who used to book shows in the same room before moving to New Orleans many years ago.)

A tough act to follow, but Lucero tackled the challenge with a swaggering set that showcased the band’s deceptively simple style with easy self-assurance. It helped that the sound mix was precise enough to emphasize the mix of guitars and keyboards and keep the lead vocals comfortably on top of the instruments.

“On My Way Downtown,” “Nights Like These” a raucous “Kiss the Bottle” and other songs put an earthy exclamation point on a terrific night of music.

There’s an extensive schedule, listed below, but also be prepared for some unscripted surprises.

Thursday 5/17

6:30pm – D’Yan Forest

8:00pm – Bloody Jug Band. Drawing inspiration from historic JUG bands of the 1920’s and 30’s as well as the darker side of Blues and Rock n Roll, the BLOODY JUG Band carves out its own niche in a genre of music that has never seen such a bloody incarnation!

9:30pm – Chase Padget

Friday, 5/18

6:30pm – Arizona Jones. Arizona Jones is a savvy satire of iconic archaeologist and movie action hero Indiana Jones, complete with dangerous stunts, comedy relief, and a search for the Holy Grail.

8:00pm – Excerpts

9:30pm – Pearl

10:00pm – Pepe

11:00pm – Beaver’s Party. Happy birthday to Beaver!

Saturday 5/19

5:00pm – The Homestead Players

6:30pm – The Homestead Players

8:00pm – Excerpts

9:00pm – Manhattan With A Twist. This hour-long tune-fest will leave you humming and laughing. As Ewing shares stories of surviving forty years in Manhattan, he unleashes a wicked sense of humor. “Manhattan with a twist” is a show you don’t want to miss.

10:00pm – Fringe Poetry Smackdown

Sunday 5/20

10:00am – Laughter Yoga w/ Ryan Lynch. Have you ever laughed so hard you cried? (Or maybe even peed yourself a little? Come on, admit it, it’s OK…) it’s a sad fact that most adults laugh less than 20 times a day. Laughter yoga seeks to change all that. All ages welcome. We will engage in some mild physical activity. Donations greatly appreciated.

2:00pm – Arizona Jones. Arizona Jones is a savvy satire of iconic archaeologist and movie action hero Indiana Jones, complete with dangerous stunts, comedy relief, and a search for the holy grail.

6:00pm – Maxine’s on Shine Presents “Serendipity Sunday at The Fringe” – Lauris Vidal. Lauris Vidal isn’t just a musician or show, he’s a relational and aural experience. His music is described as kitchen sink beat blues.

7:00pm – Maxine’s on Shine Presents “Serendipity Sunday at The Fringe” – Jessy Daumen & Brian Chodorcoff. Enjoy some Sugar Toned Americana music to brighten up your day.

8:00pm – Maxine’s on Shine Presents “Serendipity Sunday at The Fringe” – Sarah Purser. Singer-songwriter Sarah Purser her folk-bluesy tunes to the Fringe Festival!

9:30pm – Blood Sisters. 1 Mother + 5 Daughters = A House Full of CHAOS! Broadway director Marion J Caffey brings a broad spectrum of original, melodious music that will inspire, thrill, shake and stir your soul.

Monday 5/21

8:00pm – Kaleigh Baker. Among the many gifts given with both hands to formerly local, currently New York-prowling singer-songwriter Kaleigh Baker. Aside from that Swiss Army knife of a voice is her innate grasp of momentum.The Weight of It All is the roar of a soulful lioness and will go a long way toward proving to the world what Orlando’s known for a long time: Kaleigh Baker is a legend in the making. – Justin Strout, Orlando Weekly

9:30pm – Requiem For Delinquency. Enjoy this alternative/electronic band from Apopka, Florida!

Tuesday 5/22

7:00pm – Pearl. Paris clamored for her. Napoleon claimed her. Boarding house to boudoir, Cora Pearl reigned as Paris’s Queen of Tarts — an addictive force capable of driving a suitor toward suicide.

8:00pm – Shut Up and Dance. Born out of years of experience, creativity, hard work and perseverance Shut Up & Dance! bursts onto the music scene ready to take center stage. With a”no limits” attitude, the band is set to take their music wherever their creative passions lead them in order to bring you the music you’ve been waiting for.

9:30pm – Starving Artists Cabaret Party. Come out to this fabulous party! Perform onstage in front of the Fringe! You bring the sheet music, Starving Artist Studios will bring the piano and pianist!

Wednesday 5/23

6:30pm – D’Yan Forrest. A 77-year-old, ukulele playing, world traveler’s hilarious and heartbreaking search for love, sex and happiness.

8:00pm – Laney Jones. Good old fashioned ukeabilly music with a vintage vibe of 20s bluegrass and swing.

Thursday 5/24

7:00pm – Christel Bartelse

8:00pm – The Getbye. The Getbye is an indie/folk/gypsy rock band from Orlando, Florida formed in late 2009. The band consists of two brothers, Kyle Smith and Alex Smith along with two close friends David Pendry and Alex Taylor. With influences from the late, great Johnny Cash to God to Modest Mouse, The Getbye has been working to immerse itself in the Orlando and Florida music scene coming with a unique and truly organic sound distinguished from any others. In July 2010, The Getbye was nominated Orlando’s Next Big Thing. Bringing entertaining energy and contagious soul shaking music to the stage, The Getbye brings a live performance that is exactly that, an entertaining experience. The band is currently working on its first full length album to be released in 2012!

9:30pm – Mud Flappers. “FLORIDANA,” no better word could be used to describe the eclectic sounds of The Mud Flappers. A genre spawned from the art and culture of the swampland they call home. Brandishing a wide arsenal of traditional acoustic instruments, this seven piece mini-orchestra has developed a reputation for ecstatic live performances and infectious onstage energy.

Friday 5/25

6:30pm – Pearl. Paris clamored for her. Napoleon claimed her. Boarding house to boudoir, Cora Pearl reigned as Paris’s Queen of Tarts — an addictive force capable of driving a suitor toward suicide.

8:00pm – Excerpts

10:00pm – Fringe Toast Off

Saturday 5/26

2:00pm – Manhattan With A Twist. This hour-long tune-fest will leave you humming and laughing. As Ewing shares stories of surviving forty years in Manhattan, he unleashes a wicked sense of humor. “Manhattan with a twist” is a show you don’t want to miss.

3:30pm – Arizona Jones. Arizona Jones is a savvy satire of iconic archaeologist and movie action hero Indiana Jones, complete with dangerous stunts, comedy relief, and a search for the Holy Grail.

5:00pm – Sunny Raskin. A mix of jazz, bossa nova, rock and performance art

8:00pm – Excerpts

10:00pm – Fringe Poetry Smackdown

Sunday 5/28

10:00am – Laughter Yoga w/ Ryan Lynch. Have you ever laughed so hard you cried? (Or maybe even peed yourself a little? Come on, admit it, it’s OK…) it’s a sad fact that most adults laugh less than 20 times a day. Laughter yoga seeks to change all that. All ages welcome. We will engage in some mild physical activity. Donations greatly appreciated.

8:00pm – Maxines on Shine Presents “Serendipity Sunday at The Fringe” – Drew Yardis. Taking inspiration from a diverse collection of musical icons including Jeff Buckley, Radiohead, The Beatles, Dave Matthews, Jason Mraz and Al Green, Drew adds his own personal style for an experience that has thrilled audiences throughout Florida.

9:00pm – Maxine’s on Shine Presents “Serendipity Sunday at The Fringe” – Joseph Martens. As lead singer / songwriter for the band Hindu Cowboys, one might easily assume Joseph Marten’s solo sound is akin the distinct country western flavor of his band. Although Marten’s solo performances might lean occasionally toward the retro-country flair, Marten’s wide reach of style and texture in his songs is dynamic beyond the solo acoustic singer / songwriter fair.

11:00pm – Closing Night Awards Party

She was 63.

For music fans who came of age in the 1970s, the singer’s hits formed the soundtrack of high school dances, proms and other rites of passage. Along with the Bee Gees, Summer was perhaps the signature act of the Disco Era.

In Central Florida, she performed at Universal’s Mardi Gras in 2007 and one of her hits, “Bad Girls,” is one of the featured songs on Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster at Universal Studios.

Summer had been trying to keep the extent of her illness out of the spotlight, according to TMZ, which also reports that the singer died somewhere in Florida.

A five-time Grammy winner, Summer shot to stardom in the 1970s with a string of hits that pushed into the 1980s with “She Works Hard for the Money” and “This Time I Know It’s for Real.”

Offstage, Summer married Brooklyn Dreams singer Bruce Sudano in 1980 and the couple had two daughters.

Summer was born LaDonna Andre Gaines on December 31, 1948, and grew up in Boston’s Mission Hill section. Part of a religious family, she first sang in her church’s gospel choir, and as a teenager performed with a rock group called the Crow.

After high school, she moved to New York to sing and act in stage productions and soon landed a role in a German production of “Hair.” She moved to Europe in the late 1960s and spent a year in the German cast, after which she became part of the “Hair” company in Vienna.

Her first solo recording success came in 1974, when she met producers/songwriters Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte while working on a Three Dog Night record. The three teamed up for the single “The Hostage,” which became a hit around Western Europe, and Summer released her first album, “Lady of the Night,” in Europe only.

In 1975, the trio recorded “Love to Love You Baby,” a disco-fied reimagining of Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin’s lush, heavy-breathing opus “Je T’aime… Moi Non Plus.” It became a massive hit in Europe and a radio and dance-club track that launched her career in the United States.

Here’s the singer’s official video for “Last Dance”:

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I mean, even Creed couldn’t inspire enough venom to yield a petition to attempt to keep the band out of a major city, as Detroit did this past fall when Nickelback was tapped to entertain at the NFL’s traditional Thanksgiving Day game.

Yet lead singer Chad Kroeger and his Nickelback buddies are laughing all the way to the bank, a route that stopped on Friday in Orlando for a marathon show with My Darkest Days, Seether and Bush at Amway Center.

Even without a petition drive, there were still noticeable pockets of empty seats in the upper bowl, which could score Orlando much-needed cool points in some circles. Of course, the concert was a sanctuary for true believers, who know that Nickelback is just misunderstood by its detractors.

(View concert photos here.)

Yeah, big, dumb songs such as “This Means War,” “Something In Your Mouth,” “Never Again” and “Burn It to the Ground” obviously would be just as awesome without all the explosions, flames and potentially seizure-inducing strobes that make music the least essential part of the show.

Lead singer Chad Kroeger told the crowd that he loves coming to Florida because the women “just never feel the need to put any clothing on, which is always nice.” A dozen or so F-bombs added to the vibe.

Hey, that’s rock ‘n’ roll.

The disappointment is that Nickelback can’t – or won’t – lift itself out of the clichés.

It looked amazing, though. Especially wild was the flying stage that carried the band over the audience in “Bottoms Up,” a trick that notorious rockers Katy Perry and Taylor Swift also have used in concert. It seemed more like a gratuitous stunt here.

If it hadn’t been for the flying stage, Nickelback’s 90 minutes might’ve been upstaged by Bush, which put energy and stylish production into a 45-minute set that featured “Machinehead,” “All My Life,” “Glycerine” and “Everything Zen,” the latter dedicated to the memory of the Beastie Boys’ Adam Yauch.

My Darkest Days, another Canadian export, tackled the thankless opening slot, delivering 20 unmemorable minutes to a meager crowd of early birds.

Much better was Seether’s surging 45-minute set that opened with an appropriately fiery “Gasoline,” carried along by a hard-chugging rhythm section and singer Shaun Morgan’s passionate larynx-shredding in the chorus.

The band also made dynamic shifts into the understated introduction of “Fine Again” and the twangy blues vibe of “Country Song,” a nice contrast from the heavy stuff.

Nickelback? It still does things big and dumb, but there’s no reason to change that now.

“All of us will wake up with a headache tomorrow,” Kroeger said.

I know I will.

The Brooklyn-born musician known as MCA was first treated for a cancerous growths in his parotid gland and a lymph node in 2009 and underwent surgery and radiation therapy, which forced the delay of the Beastie Boys’ most recent album, Hot Sauce Committee Part Two.

His illness has also kept the group off the road, and Yauch missed the group’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame two weeks ago, ina  class that also included the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Guns N’ Roses.

Yauch helped form the group in high school, aiming to create a hardcore band influenced by the likes of Black Flag. With the addition of Adam Horovitz (Ad-Rock), the crew put together a song called “Cookie Puss,” that became a sensation in New York’s underground dance scene and helped build the group’s reputation for blending humor and hip-hop.

In 1986, the Beastie Boys released the crossover smash “Licensed to Ill,” the first hip-hop album to top the Billboard album chart. The band’s success was powered by the MTV hit “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party).” a song that would forever mark the group’s identity.

At the recent Rocka nd Roll Hall of Fame induction, Beastie Boys Ad-Rock and Mike D read a letter from Yauch thanking both his bandmates and fans: “I’d like to dedicate this to my brothers Adam and Mike,” he wrote. “They walked the globe with me. It’s also for anyone who has ever been touched by our band. This induction is as much ours as it is yours.”

Petty and the Heartbreakers haven’t played an arena show in Orlando since 1995, although the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers have made numerous road-trip worthy stops on the I-4 corridor in Tampa and Daytona Beach since the Clinton years.

So it was worth wondering if the band would pull out any surprises on Thursday at Amway Center. You know, to make the night memorable enough to last another decade or so?

“We’re pretty excited to be back in Florida,” Petty told the sold-out crowd in the opening moments of a 2-hour show. “We’ve got all our friends and relatives and ex-wives backstage.”

There were plenty of wrinkles mixed into the reliable assortment of hits, often delivered with a precision perhaps only rivaled by the Eagles, another band that has remained a big concert draw.

Petty opened with a faithful rendition of “Listen to Her Heart,” still a fine example of the band’s debt to the guitar sound of the Byrds. It was immediately followed by a one-two punch of signature hits – “You Wreck Me,” “I Won’t Back Down” – that lesser bands would be obligated to save for the encore.

(View photos from the show here.)

The Heartbreakers mixed the obligatory stuff with surprises such as “Here Comes My Girl,” in which the band chugged along powerfully beneath the spoken-word narration that opened into the big chorus. Such dynamic shifts were elevated by a mix that was hospitable by the arena’s hit-or-miss standards.

Petty dedicated another lesser known song, “The Best of Everything,” to the late Levon Helm, a fitting gesture since Robbie Robertson and Richard Manuel, Helm’s colleagues in The Band, contributed to the original studio track. He did some old-fashioned Southern storytelling on a folksy “Spike.”

“Something Big” was among numerous showcases for guitarist Mike Campbell’s inventive solos, which also lifted “You Wreck Me,” “Saving Grace” and others with combinations of flash and restraint. Campbell and keyboardist Benmont Tench turned J.J. Cale’s “Travelin’ Light” into an atmospheric jam.

It all unfolded on a stage that was relatively understated compared with the eye-catching light displays of recent tours. There was only a backdrop of an elegant curtain, shaded by a mix of spotlights. Above the band, there were four video screens that could’ve been larger to work for the cheap seats.

Singer-songwriter Regina Spektor opened the show with 50 minutes of piano ballads that were an oddly somber counter-point to Petty’s rock ‘n’ roll. A lot of the subtleties were lost in the cavernous arena, so the contrast didn’t exactly work.

Fortunately, Petty and the band reclaimed the rock mojo, especially on a closing sprint that included “Refugee,” “Runnin’ Down a Dream,” “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” and “American Girl.”

Let’s hope they don’t wait so long to come back.

Onopening night, the fest will feature The Nouveaux Honkies headlining on at the St. Augustine marina, at the entrance to the Bridge of Lions near St. Augustine’s famous historic district.

On May 5, The Waymores will top the bill on one of the four concert stages at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre , 1340 State Road A1A, 2 miles south of the Bridge of Lions.

Also on the lineup for this year’s event: The Aaron O’Rourke Trio; The Gatorbone Band; The Morse Family Band; Jubal’s Kin; Moors and McCumber; Sam Pacetti; Passerine; Grant Peeples; Red and Chris Henry’s All Star Band and others.

General Admission tickets are $10 for Friday Night only, $35 for all-day Saturday and $40.00 for the entire weekend. Children age 12 and under are free with each paid adult admission.

 Advance tickets are available at the festival website: www.gamblerogersfest.org. You can also obtain tickets by phoning in credit card info at 1-904-794-4163.

All are on the list of 13 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It’s the nation’s highest civilian honor, presented to those who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to other cultural endeavors.

The awards will be presented by President Obama at the White House in late spring.

“These extraordinary honorees come from different backgrounds and different walks of life, but each of them has made a lasting contribution to the life of our nation,” the president said in making the announcement. “They’ve challenged us, they’ve inspired us, and they’ve made the world a better place. I look forward to recognizing them with this award.”

Here’s the list, with the White House descriptions of the honorees.

Bob Dylan: One of the most influential American musicians of the 20th century, Dylan released his first album in 1962. Known for his rich and poetic lyrics, his work had considerable influence on the civil rights movement of the 1960s and has had significant impact on American culture over the past five decades. He has won 11 Grammys, including a lifetime achievement award. He was named a Commandeur dans l’Ordre des Art et des Lettres and has received a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation. Dylan was awarded the 2009 National Medal of Arts. He has written more than 600 songs, and his songs have been recorded more than 3,000 times by other artists. He continues recording and touring around the world today.

Madeleine Albright: From 1997 to 2001, under President William J. Clinton, Albright served as the 64th United States Secretary of State, the first woman to hold that position. During her tenure, she worked to enlarge NATO and helped lead the Alliance’s campaign against terror and ethnic cleansing in the Balkans, pursued peace in the Middle East and Africa, sought to reduce the dangerous spread of nuclear weapons, and was a champion of democracy, human rights, and good governance across the globe. From 1993 to 1997, she was America’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations. Since leaving office, she founded the Albright Stonebridge Group and Albright Capital Management, returned to teaching at Georgetown University, and authored five books. Albright chairs the National Democratic Institute and is President of the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation.

John Doar:  Doar was a legendary public servant and leader of federal efforts to protect and enforce civil rights during the 1960s. He served as Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. In that capacity, he was instrumental during many major civil rights crises, including singlehandedly preventing a riot in Jackson, Mississippi, following the funeral of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evars in 1963. Doar brought notable civil rights cases, including obtaining convictions for the 1964 killings of three civil rights workers in Neshoba County, Mississippi, and leading the effort to enforce the right to vote and implement the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He later served as Special Counsel to the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary as it investigated the Watergate scandal and considered articles of impeachment against President Nixon. Doar continues to practice law at Doar Rieck Kaley & Mack in New York.

William Foege: A physician and epidemiologist, Foege helped lead the successful campaign to eradicate smallpox in the 1970s. He was appointed Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1977 and, with colleagues, founded the Task Force for Child Survival in 1984. Foege became Executive Director of The Carter Center in 1986 and continues to serve the organization as a Senior Fellow. He helped shape the global health work of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and remains a champion of a wide array of issues, including child survival and development, injury prevention, and preventative medicine. Foege’s leadership has contributed significantly to increased awareness and action on global health issues, and his enthusiasm, energy, and effectiveness in these endeavors have inspired a generation of leaders in public health.

John Glenn:  Glenn is a former United States Marine Corps pilot, astronaut, and United States Senator. In 1962, he was the third American in space and the first American to orbit the Earth. After retiring from the Marine Corps, Glenn was elected to the U.S. Senate in Ohio in 1974. He was an architect and sponsor of the 1978 Nonproliferation Act and served as Chairman of the Senate Government Affairs committee from 1978 until 1995. In 1998, Glenn became the oldest person to visit space at the age of 77. He retired from the Senate in 1999. Glenn is a recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal and the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.

Gordon Hirabayashi:  Hirabayashi openly defied the forced relocation and internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. As an undergraduate at the University of Washington, he refused the order to report for evacuation to an internment camp, instead turning himself in to the FBI to assert his belief that these practices were racially discriminatory. Consequently, he was convicted by a U.S. Federal District Court in Seattle of defying the exclusion order and violating curfew. Hirabayashi appealed his conviction all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled against him in 1943. Following World War II and his time in prison, Hirabayashi obtained his doctoral degree in sociology and became a professor. In 1987, his conviction was overturned by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Hirabayashi died on January 2, 2012.

Dolores Huerta:  Huerta is a civil rights, workers, and women’s advocate. With Cesar Chavez, she co-founded the National Farmworkers Association in 1962, which later became the United Farm Workers of America. Huerta has served as a community activist and a political organizer, and was influential in securing the passage of California’s Agricultural Labor Relations Act of 1975, and disability insurance for farmworkers in California. In 2002, she founded the Dolores Huerta Foundation, an organization dedicated to developing community organizers and national leaders. In 1998, President Clinton awarded her the Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Human Rights.

Jan Karski: Karski served as an officer in the Polish Underground during World War II and carried among the first eye-witness accounts of the Holocaust to the world. He worked as a courier, entering the Warsaw ghetto and the Nazi Izbica transit camp, where he saw first-hand the atrocities occurring under Nazi occupation. Karski later traveled to London to meet with the Polish government-in-exile and with British government officials. He subsequently traveled to the United States and met with President Roosevelt. Karski published Story of a Secret State, earned a Ph.D at Georgetown University, and became a professor at Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service. Born in 1914, Karski became a U.S. citizen in 1954 and died in 2000.

Juliette Gordon Low: Born in 1860, Low founded the Girl Scouts in 1912. The organization strives to teach girls self-reliance and resourcefulness. It also encourages girls to seek fulfillment in the professional world and to become active citizens in their communities. Since 1912, the Girl Scouts has grown into the largest educational organization for girls and has had over 50 million members. Low died in 1927. This year, the Girl Scouts celebrate their 100th Anniversary, calling 2012 “The Year of the Girl.”

Toni Morrison: One of our nation’s most celebrated novelists, Morrison is renowned for works such as Song of Solomon, Jazz, and Beloved, for which she won a Pulitzer Prize in 1988. When she became the first African American woman to win a Nobel Prize in 1993, Morrison’s citation captured her as an author “who in novels characterized by visionary force and poetic import, gives life to an essential aspect of American reality.” She created the Princeton Atelier at Princeton University to convene artists and students. Morrison continues to write today.

Shimon Peres:An ardent advocate for Israel’s security and for peace, Shimon Peres was elected the ninth President of Israel in 2007. First elected to the Knesset in 1959, he has served in a variety of positions throughout the Israeli government, including in twelve Cabinets as Foreign Minister, Minister of Defense, and Minister of Transport and Communications. Peres served as Prime Minister from 1984-1986 and 1995-1996. Along with Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and then-PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat, Peres won the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize for his work as Foreign Minister during the Middle East peace talks that led to the Oslo Accords. Through his life and work, he has strengthened the unbreakable bonds between Israel and the United States.

John Paul Stevens: Stevens served as an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1975 to 2010, when he retired as the third longest-serving Justice in the Court’s history. Known for his independent, pragmatic and rigorous approach to judging, Justice Stevens and his work have left a lasting imprint on the law in areas such as civil rights, the First Amendment, the death penalty, administrative law, and the separation of powers. He was nominated to the Supreme Court by President Gerald Ford, and previously served as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Stevens is a veteran of World War II, in which he served as a naval intelligence officer and was awarded the Bronze Star.

Pat Summitt: In addition to accomplishing an outstanding career as the all-time winningest leader among all NCAA basketball coaches, Summitt has taken the University of Tennessee to more Final Four appearances than any other coach and has the second best record of NCAA Championships in basketball. She has received numerous awards, including being named Naismith Women’s Collegiate Coach of the Century. Off the court, she has been a spokesperson against Alzheimer’s. The Pat Summitt Foundation will make grants to nonprofits to provide education and awareness, support to patients and families, and research to prevent, cure and ultimately eradicate early onset dementia, Alzheimer’s type.