WASHINGTON—The National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation (NABLF) has announced that Kidde, a leading manufacturer of residential fire and life safety products, will be given the Corporate Leadership Award.

The honor will be awarded during the 2026 Celebration of Service to America Award, presented by Bonneville International and Hearst Television, on June 9 at The Anthem here.

Each year, the Corporate Leadership Award is presented to a business outside of the broadcast industry that shows an outstanding dedication to public service and corporate social responsibility, NABLF said.

Kidde has been a leading home fire-safety brand and a pioneer in smoke and carbon monoxide detection for more than 100 years, NABLF said.

As a part of its focus on education, Kidde is the title sponsor of a new television series, “Home for Good,” produced with Hearst Media Production Group and Epic Entertainment and Media Group and airing weekends on ABC stations nationwide.

“Home for Good” is a home renovation series dedicated to honoring America’s everyday heroes, from first responders and military veterans to community champions. More than just a makeover show, the series bridges the gap between beautiful design and essential home safety, providing viewers with expert do-it-yourself insights and a vital focus on fire and carbon monoxide education through Kidde’s team of fire safety educators, NABLF said.

“We are proud to recognize Kidde for its extraordinary commitment to protecting families and strengthening communities,” NABLF President Michelle Duke said. “Through life-saving fire safety education and programming that elevates everyday heroes, Kidde is helping deliver trusted information that can make a real difference in people’s lives. Their work reflects the same spirit of service that broadcasters bring to communities every day through trusted news, emergency information and public service programming.”

Additionally, Kidde’s Cause for Alarm initiative addresses systemic fire safety inequity by providing resources and support to at-risk communities. Kidde has donated nearly 2 million alarms to fire departments and communities across both the U.S. and Canada through Cause for Alarm and other advocacy efforts.

"At Kidde, we believe every family—in every community—deserves the peace of mind that comes with a safe home,” Kidde President of Global Residential Fire and Safety Isis Wu said. “For more than a century, this belief has guided everything we do. Being recognized by the NAB Leadership Foundation is a tremendous honor because broadcasters play a critical role in advancing this collective mission by helping our safety messages reach the families who need them most. We share this recognition with our fire service, nonprofit and media partners and with the Kidde team, who approach safety not simply as a product category but as a purpose.”

In addition to the Corporate Leadership Award, the Celebration of Service to America Awards will recognize local television and radio stations and broadcast groups for their outstanding public service.

For more information about the awards and event, visit its website.

WASHINGTON—The National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation (NABLF) today announced the recipients for the 2023 Celebration of Service to America Awards, which recognize local broadcasters’ outstanding service to their communities. Category winners will be honored at the awards ceremony on June 6 at The Anthem in Washington, D.C.

The Celebration of Service to America Awards, presented by Bonneville International and Hearst Television, honors the impact and excellence in community service and philanthropy by local radio and television stations across the country.

In addition, the Foundation also bestows two prestigious Service to America Leadership Awards to a public figure and to a non-broadcast business for their achievements in advocacy and philanthropy, especially within their own community. These awards will be announced at a later date.

“For almost a quarter century the Celebration of Service to America Awards have honored broadcasters that go above and beyond to serve their communities in a variety of ways, from fundraisers and telethons to educational programming and investigative reporting,” said NAB Leadership Foundation President Michelle Duke. “We look forward to shining a well-deserved spotlight on these stations and sharing their award-winning campaigns with broadcast industry leaders, members of Congress and FCC commissioners.”

The following is the list of honorees by category:

Service to Community Award for Radio, Broadcast Ownership Group
Guaranty, Future DJ Radio Day

Service to Community Award for Television, Broadcast Ownership Group
Gray Television, The Sixth Investigative Series

Service to Community Award for Radio, Large/Major Market
KSTP-FM, Hubbard Broadcasting, St. Paul, Minn., KS95 FM Buck$ for Babe

Service to Community Award for Television – Large/Major Market
WBNS-TV, TEGNA Inc., Columbus, Ohio, Maria’s Message: Education on distracted driving

Service to Community Award for Radio – Medium Market
WHKO-FM, COX Media Group, Dayton, Ohio, 99.1FM Care for Kids Radiothon for Dayton Children’s Hospital

Service to Community Award for Television – Medium Market
KCCI-TV, Hearst Television, Des Moines, Iowa, Essential: Iowa’s EMS Emergency

Service to Community Award for Radio – Small Market
WLEN-FM, Lenawee Broadcasting, Lenawee County, Associated Charities Back to School Fire

Service to Community Award for Television – Small Market
KTTC-TV, Gray Television, Rochester, Minn., Fifth District Eagles Cancer Telethon

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Leadership Foundation has announced that it is now accepting entries for the 2023 Celebration of Service to America Awards. The awards competition spotlights excellence in community service by local radio and television stations across the country.

Stations and broadcast groups are encouraged to enter their best community service campaign from the past year. Award categories are based on market size, and both NAB members and non-members are eligible to enter. The 2023 Celebration of Service to America Awards entry window will close on Monday, March 13, 2023 at 11:59 PST,. the NAB said. 

"We are proud to honor and acknowledge the significant role broadcasters play within their communities," said NAB Leadership Foundation president Michelle Duke. "Local television and radio stations have always been actively engaged with the neighborhoods they serve, and this is a way to show how they make a real difference in the lives of their viewers and listeners."

Finalists from each category will be announced in early April, and winners will be named at The Celebration of Service to America Awards in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, June 6, 2023. Attendees and invited guests include industry executives, broadcasting and media professionals, policy makers and past honorees.

The Celebration of Service to America Awards is presented by Bonneville International and Hearst Television, and a special one-hour television event will air later in the year. Additional information about the awards, including sponsorship opportunities, rules and event details, is available at ServiceToAmericaAwards.org. 

WASHINGTON D.C.—The National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation (NABLF) has announced that renowned actor and television personality Mario Lopez will host the Celebration of Service to America Awards on June 7, 2022, at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. 

The ceremony recognizes local broadcasters’ outstanding service to their communities. The 2022 program will be held in person and professionally produced for airing later on television stations across the country.

Lopez, a two-time Emmy Award winner, New York Times best-selling author, producer and host, will emcee the first in-person Celebration of Service to America Awards since 2019. Lopez is the host of NBC’s “Access Hollywood” and “Access Daily.” He also hosts two national iHeartMedia radio programs and has starred on Broadway in the 2008 revival of "The Chorus Line." 

In 2021, Lopez received the NAB Television Chairman’s Award, which recognizes individuals for significant groundbreaking work in one or more specific art disciplines in television.

Celebrity guests will present awards to station winners that will be announced at the June 7 event. 

Featured celebrity presenters include CBS Sports’ James Brown, a three-time Emmy Award Winner and Hall of Fame Sportscaster; Emmy Award-winning co-anchor of ABC News’ “Nightline” Juju Chang; American rock and soul artist Maggie Rose, who will also perform the National Anthem; and Angela Yee, co-host of nationally syndicated radio show “The Breakfast Club.”

NABLF previously announced station and broadcast group finalists for the awards. A complete list of finalists can be found at nabfoundation.org. 

Earlier this month, NABLF announced GEICO will receive the Corporate Leadership Award during the event. 

A special one-hour production of the awards ceremony will be broadcast nationally on television stations across the country in summer 2022.

For more information about the awards and event, visit servicetoamerica.org.

WASHINGTON—The NAB Leadership Foundation’s Celebration of Service to America Awards will return to television in 2021, following its inaugural broadcast of the event this year that aired nationwide.

A pre-recording of the Celebration of Service to America Awards, which honors local radio and television stations for their community service work, was produced in lieu of the annual live event because of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Nielsen, the 2020 program reached an audience of 7.5 million people, with 617 TV stations carrying it in 210 markets. The recording aired in August and September.

The 2021 ceremony will have a professionally produced broadcast for TV, expected to be available to stations next summer. There is no word on whether the traditional live event will return for 2021.

“Congratulations to all the award winners and thank you to our partners for making the 2020 Celebration of Service to America Awards a success,” said Michelle Duke, president of NABLF. “We appreciate the generous support of stations that aired the event and look forward to once again producing and distributing our legacy event next summer.”

Highlights and finalist profiles from the 2020 ceremony can be found at ServicetoAmericaAwards.org. 

WASHINGTON—The NAB Leadership Foundation presented the winners of the 2020 Service to America Awards over the weekend, honoring the outstanding community service work of local broadcasters across the country. Winners were announced during the televised Celebration of Service to America Awards program.

“Over the past year, America’s local radio and television stations have demonstrated unparalleled devotion to helping families and communities in need,” said Michelle Duke, NABLF president. “We are pleased to honor these exceptional stations and celebrate this year’s winners with viewers and listeners during the first ever broadcast of the Celebration of Service to America Awards.”

Here is the list of Service to America Award winners:

• Service to Community Award for Television—Ownership Group: Gray Television, “Measure of Hate”
• Service to Community Award for Radio—Ownership Group: Zimmer Radio of Mid-Missouri, “Miracles for Kids Radiothon” 
• Service to Community Award for Television—Large Market: WKMG-TV, Orlando, Fla., “Driving Change: Florida’s Texting and Driving Law” 
• Service to Community Award for Radio—Major Market: KIRO-AM, Seattle, “710 ESPN Seattle and Coaching Boys Into Men” 
• Service to Community Award for Television—Medium Market: WNDU-TV, South Bend, Ind., “Never Again: Preventing Bus Stop Tragedies” 
• Service to Community Award for Radio—Medium Market: WSGW, Saginaw, Mich., “WSGW’s Sharing Hope Radiothon” 
• Service to Community Award for Television—Small Market: WJHG-TV, Panama City, Fla., “Remembering the Forgotten” 
• Service to Community Award for Radio—Small Market: WKXW-FM, Trenton, N.J., “New Jersey Judges” 

For more information, visit the Service to America Awards website. 

WASHINGTON—The NAB Leadership Foundations’ Celebration of Service to America Awards will be aired on more than 500 TV and radio stations across the U.S. on Saturday, Aug. 22, at 7 p.m. ET, according to NABLF.

The one-hour program, which honors local radio and TV stations for their community service efforts, was distributed to stations through a pro bono partnership with Disney Media Networks. Nielsen, in collaboration with NBALF, will provide TV measurement and analytic services.

The full list of participating stations can be found at ServicetoAmericaAwards.org.

The 2020 Celebration of Service to America Awards, taking place virtually because of COVID-19, is hosted by Tamron Hall and will feature celebrity guests and presenters that include Glenn Close, Sharon Stone, Sterling K. Brown, Sara Evans, Tony Gonzalez and Mario Lopez.

WASHINGTON—The NAB Leadership Foundation is awarding its 2020 Celebration of Service to America Corporate Leadership Award to SC Johnson.

The annual honor is given to a leading business outside the broadcast industry that exemplifies “an extraordinary focus on community service and corporate social responsibility,” according to NABLF.

SC Johnson is a manufacturer of household cleaning products, products for home storage, air care, pest control and shoe care, as well as professional products. The company has a stated mission to be at work for a better world. It has attempted to do so in part by giving back 5% of its pre-tax profits to charities every year since 1937.

In more recent examples, SC Johnson has been helping to battle COVID-19, committing $15 million to assist families and communities around the world. Specific examples of their efforts include:

• Donating 80,000 SC Johnson product care packages to U.S. health care workers and first respondents; 
• A $1 million donation to the CDC Foundation’s Emergency Response Fund;  
• Providing more than $4 million in financial support and product donations to COVID-19 response efforts in Europe and Latin America;  
• Giving $1 million to Save the Children to educate and enable children worldwide to cope with the current pandemic and respond to future health crises; 
• Donating more than 300,000 bottles of hand sanitizer to health care workers, first responders and frontline workers across the U.S.; and 
• Providing meals, snacks, books to school children and care packages to health care workers and first responders around its home of Racine, Wis. 

SC Johnson also launched a global partnership with Plastic Bank in 2019 to help address the ocean plastic crisis, creating more than 500 plastic collection points across five countries.

“We are thrilled to honor this exemplary company for their dedication, generosity and commitment to serving both local and international communities,” said Michelle Duke, NABLF president and NAB chief diversity officer. “SC Johnson has set a high bar for corporate social responsibility and philanthropy and is a worthy recipient of this prestigious award.”

Fisk Johnson, SC Johnson chairman and CEO, will accept the award and give a message during the televised 2020 Celebration of Service to America Awards program on Aug. 22.

For more information, visit www.nabfoundation.org. 

WASHINGTON—The NAB Leadership Foundation today announced it has begun accepting entries for the 2020 Celebration of Service to America Awards to recognize outstanding community service by local broadcasters.

Recipients will be honored at a black-tie gala attended by broadcast executives, policymakers and regulators on Tuesday, June 9, at The Anthem in Washington, D.C.

Local radio and television broadcasters from around the United States will be honored for their exceptional commitment to keeping local communities informed, safe and helpful to those in need. During the gala, the dedication of those being honored for their community service will be spotlighted.

Eight Service to Community Awards will be presented, one each for radio and TV broadcasters in four categories, including broadcast groups; large/major market (TV DMAs 1-50 and Radio Markets 1-50); media market (TV DMAs 51-10 and Radio Markets 51-150); and small market (TV DMAs 101-210 and Radio Markets 151-300).

The deadline for entering is Friday, March 6.

Entry rules and other information is available online.

WASHINGTON—The NAB Leadership Foundation’s Corporate Leadership Award, which is given to a business outside of the broadcast industry that focuses on community service and corporate social responsibility, will be presented to LG Electronics USA for 2019.

The North American subsidiary of LG Electronics Inc, LG Electronics USA has provided leadership in the U.S. when it comes to environmental sustainability, social impact, employee volunteerism and disaster relief efforts.

A highlight of their efforts is the “Life’s Good: Experience Happiness” initiative, which strives for positive change in people’s lives, with a goal to deliver sustainable happiness skills to 5.5 million young adults by 2021. Working with the University of California Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, LG has identified six learnable skills linked to happiness: mindfulness, human connection, positive outlook, purpose, generosity and gratitude. The initiative engages leading nonprofit partners and educational resource providers to raise awareness and increase youth access to the six sustainable happiness skills.

The LG initiative is now in its second year and has reportedly impacted 1.8 million teens across the country through curriculum implementation projects, International Day of Happiness events and high school programs that promote social-emotional learning.

NABLF will present the Corporate Leadership Award to LG Electronics USA during the Celebration of Service to America Awards that will take place on June 11 in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON—Local broadcasters serve their communities by providing them with news and entertainment, but they often also provide a helping hand in the form of community service. It is this area that the National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation recognizes with its annual Celebration of Service to America Awards, officially announcing the recipients for the 2019 iteration of the awards.

Here is the list of winners:

Service to Community Award for Television - Ownership Group: Hearst Television Inc., “Commitment 2018”

Category Finalists: Graham Media Group, Raycom Media, TEGNA

Service to Community Award for Radio - Ownership Group: Beasley Media Group, “Beasley Best Community of Caring”

Service to Community Award for Television - Large Market: WKMG-TV, Orland, Fla.; “Legislative Lifeline for First Responders”

Category Finalists: KOB-TV, Albuquerque, N.M.; KING-TV, Seattle; WGAL-TV, Lancaster, Pa.; WCVB-TV, Boston

Service to Community Award for Radio - Major Market: WMMR-FM, Philadelphia; “Preston and Steve’s Camp Out for Hunger”

Category Finalists: KTAR-FM, Phoenix; WSB-AM, Atlanta; WEDR, WFLC, WFEX, WHQT, Hollywood, Fla.

Service to Community Award for Television - Medium Market: WREG, Memphis, Tenn.; “Go Jim Go!”

Category Finalists: WAFB-TV, Baton Rouge, La.; WTOC-TV, Savannah, Ga.; KWQC-TV, Davenport, Iowa

Service to Community Award for Radio - Medium Market: WYCT-FM, Pensacola, Fla.; “WYCT Cat Country 98.7 and Santa Rosa Kids House

Category Finalists: WOKQ, WSAK, WPKQ, WSHK, Dover, N.H.

Service to Community Award for Television - Small Market: WCTV, Tallahassee, Fla.

Category Finalists: WECT-TV, Wilmington, N.C.; WJHG-TV, Panama City, Fla.; KOAM-TV, Pittsburgh, Kan.

Service to Community Award for Radio - Small Market: WLEN-FM, Adrian, Mich.; “Thank a Vet”

Category Finalists: WDBR-FM, WLFZ-FM, Springfield, Ill.; KCLR-FM, Columbia, Mo.

“This year’s STA winners epitomize broadcasters’ devotion to positively impacting their communities and creating a lasting difference. We look forward to recognizing their exceptional work,” said NABLF President Marcellus Alexander.

The Celebration of Service to America dinner, where the winners will be recognized, will take place on June 11 at The Anthem in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON--The National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation is accepting entries for this year’s round of Service to America Awards now through March 8.

Television and relevision winners will be chosen in categories, subdivided in broadcast ownership groups, large/major market, medium market and small market stations.

Honorees will be recognized for outstanding community service on June 11 at the Celebration of Service to America Awards gala at The Anthem in Washington. The event and awards program are sponsored and produced by NABEF with major support from the National Association of Broadcasters, Bonneville International and Hearst Television.

WASHINGTON—The National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation has announced the winners of the 20th edition of the Celebration of Service to America Awards.

These local broadcasters will be honored for outstanding community service at the Celebration of Service to America dinner June 12 at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington. The awards are sponsored and produced by NABEF with major support from the National Association of Broadcasters, Bonneville International and Hearst Television.

[Read: NABEF Reveals 2017 Service To America Honorees]

“Local broadcasters play a crucial role in informing, supporting and strengthening communities across our country,” said NABEF President Marcellus Alexander. “This year’s winners represent the ethos of broadcasting and the industry’s unwavering commitment to public service. We look forward to honoring these outstanding stations in the nation’s capital.”

President’s Special Award

The NABEF President’s Special Award recognizes extraordinary achievement by an individual broadcast station or group of broadcasters.

In recognition of broadcasters’ service to before, during and after historic hurricanes and wildfires in 2017, broadcasters in Florida, Puerto Rico, Texas and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as those in California, Montana, Oregon and Washington, will receive special honors. Broadcasters nationwide will also receive recognition for their support of local communities during these events.

Service to Community Award for Television – Ownership Group

TEGNA, “Selling Girls”

Category Finalists:

• Hearst Television, “State of Addiction”
• NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, “NBC and Telemundo Owned Stations Information Beacons for Communities Affected by Natural Disasters”
• Nexstar Media Group, “Founders Day”
• Univision Communications, “Unidos por los Nuestros” – Disaster Relief Campaign

Service to Community Award for Television – Large Market

Tribune Media’s KDVR of Denver, “FOX31 Problem Solvers: Serving Those Who Serve”

Category Finalists:

• CBS Corp.’s KCBS(TV) Los Angeles, “Stephanie’s Day”
• Hubbard Broadcasting’s KOB(TV) Albuquerque, N.M., “#ABQ4ward”
• CBS Corp.’s WCCO(TV) Minneapolis, Minn., “WCCO(TV)’s Pulling Together”
• Univision Communications’ WGBO(TV) Chicago, “Fin de DACA – End of DACA”
• Graham Media Group’s WKMG(TV) of Orlando, Fla., “WKMG – Driving Change Campaign”
• Raycom Media’s WOIO(TV) Cleveland, Ohio, “2 Strong 4 Bullies”
• Capitol Broadcasting’s WRAL(TV) of Raleigh, N.C., “Searching for a Fix”

Service to Community Award for Television – Medium Market

Gray Television’s WJRT(TV) of Flint, Mich., “ABC12 Diaper Drive”

Category Finalists:

• Gray Television’s KWTX(TV) Waco, Texas, “Service to Veterans” and “The Rhett Revolution”
• Raycom Media’s WAFB Baton Rouge, La., “Donna Britt Day 2017”
• Gray Television’s WMTV(TV) of Madison, “NBC15 Share Your Holidays Campaign to Eliminate Hunger”
• Raycom Media’s WVUE(TV) of New Orleans, “Medical Waste”

Service to Community Award for Television – Small Market

Gray Television’s WCTV of Tallahassee, Fla., “WCTV Peanut Butter and Jelly Jam”

Category Finalists:

• Hubbard Broadcasting’s KAAL(TV) of Rochester, Minn., “ABC 6 News Weather Lab”
• Sinclair Broadcast Group’s KRCG(TV) of Columbia, Mo., “Stop Bullying Mid-Mo”
• Gray Television’s WEAU(TV) of Eau Claire, Wis., “Tornado Relief Fund”
• Quincy Media’s WREX(TV) of Rockford, Ill., “Hooked: The Opioid Epidemic Hits Home”

Service to Community Award for Radio – Major Market

KJLH Radio’s KJLH(FM) of Los Angeles, “102.3 KJLH Women’s Health Expo”

Category Finalists:

• Cox Media Group Long Island, “Battling Breast Cancer”
• KTMY(FM) Coon Rapids, Minn., “Project Down and Dirty,” Hubbard Broadcasting
• Cox Media Group’s WFLC(FM) of Miami, “Hits 97.3 Campaigns for Conservation”
• iHeartMedia’s WNIC(FM) of Dearborn, Mich., “Jay’s Juniors with 100.3 WNIC”

Service to Community Award for Radio – Medium Market

Federated Media’s WOWO(FM) of Ft. Wayne, Ind., “Penny Pitch”

Category Finalists:

• iHeartMedia’s WGY(AM), WRVE of Schenectady, N.Y., “The River 19th Annual Cares for Kids Radiothon”
• Connoisseur Media’s WPLR(FM) New Haven, Conn., “The 99.1 PLR Chaz and AJ Toy Drive”
• New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation’s WWOZ(FM) New Orleans, La., “School Groove”

Service to Community Award for Radio – Small Market

Zimmer Radio of Mid-Missouri’s KTXY(FM) Columbia, Mo., “Y107 Miracles for Kids Radiothon”

Category Finalists:

• Zimmer Radio of Mid-Missouri’s KCLR(FM) of Boonville, Mo., “Clear 99 Honor Flight Radiothon”
• Aloha Station Trust’s WFRE(FM) and WFMD(AM) Frederick, Md., “WFRE St. Jude Radiothon”

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Liz Hernandez, a news correspondent on NBC’s Access Hollywood, will emcee the NAB Education Foundation’s 2016 Celebration of Service to America Awards. The ceremony recognizes outstanding community service initiatives by local broadcasters.

Liz Hernandez

Hernandez is one of Access Hollywood’s first Latina correspondents and has been recognized by the National Hispanic Media Coalition for excellence in radio broadcasting. She’s formerly a long-time co-host on “Big Boy’s Neighborhood,” a nationally syndicated morning radio show out of KPWR(FM) Power 106 in Los Angeles.

Hernandez’s transition to radio from television came in 2007 when she worked as a correspondent for MTV News. She’s also served as on-air talent for MTVTres, a correspondent and host of “E! News Now” and an appearance on HBO’s “Entourage.”

This year’s ceremony will take place Tuesday, June 21 at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C., and the Service to America award winners are listed here.

WASHINGTON—The National Association of Broadcasters Educational Foundation (NABEF) has announced the winners of the 2016 Celebration of Service to America Award winners. The organization says the awards recognize community service by local broadcasters.

Among the awards handed out is the President’s Special Award, which recognizes what the NABEF describes as “historic and extraordinary achievement by broadcasters.” This year’s winner was the Arizona Broadcasters Association, which in partnership with the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, created the “Hooked: Tracking Heroin’s Hold on Arizona” special, which was broadcasted on both radio and television.

The Service to America Television Award winner was also announced. Given to a station “for the totality of its efforts and its commitment to excellence in serving its community,” per NABEF, the 2016 winner was KWTX-TV in Waco, Texas.

The other award recipients announced include WBIQ-TV Birmingham, Ala., which was presented with the Service to Children Award for TV; the CBS Radio-owned WXYT-FM in Southfield, Mich., was the winner on the radio side. For the Service to Community Award, NABEF honored Reno, Nev.-based TV station KOLO-TV; Cox Radio Group in Miami won for radio.

All winners will be recognized at the Celebration of Service to America dinner, which is set to take place June 21 at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington.