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Summarized by Kent Larsen
LDS Church Hosts UN Diplomats at Radio City Christmas Spectacular
Kent Larsen 7Jan00 N1
LDS Church member and sports executive David Checketts came through
again for the Church, allowing it to host 68 United Nations Ambassadors
and Consuls with their families at Radio City Music Hall's famous
Christmas Spectacular on Friday, December 10th. Checketts is CEO and
President of Madison Square Garden, which owns Radio City Music Hall
in addition to the midtown New York sports arena for which the company
is named. Prior to the Christmas Spectacular performance, Checketts and
his wife Deb hosted a reception for the diplomats.
Also greeting the Ambassadors and Consuls at the reception were LDS
Church member Jane Clayson, co-host of CBS's new morning talk show, 'The
Early Show,' who attended as a special guest, and Elder Karl and Sister
Donna Snow, representing the LDS Church from its New York International
Affairs Office.
Member couples from the New York International Diplomatic Relations
Committee served as special hosts for the evening, presenting each
diplomat with a copy of the Church's Proclamation on the Family printed
in their native language. Preparing the proclamations must have been an
effort in itself because the diplomats represented 54 countries
throughout Europe and South America. The diplomats were also given a CD
of Christmas Music performed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and a CD-ROM
containing the LDS Church's PAF program.
Several diplomats were very interested in the LDS Church's activities in
their countries. Ambassador Ion Goritza of Romania inquired about the
several humanitarian projects that had been undertaken in his country as
noted on the map of a large display prepared by LDS Charities. More
interesting was the reaction of Mrs. Marcela Galuskova, wife of the UN
Ambassador from the Czech Republic, who said that she and her husband
were invited to many functions but this was a first she had attended
where the family had been invited.
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