15-City National Demonstration Targets Apple’s Rotten Core & AT&T’s Ineptitude
The Sarah Jane Brain Foundation announced a national demonstration against Apple and AT&T in 15 cities across the country beginning on May 3 in Boston and ending on May 17 in Seattle. This national demonstration coincides with their previously announced 15-city American PABI Heroes Tour which is the first national musical competition to raise awareness of #1 leading cause of death and disability for children/young adults in the U.S. – pediatric acquired brain injury (PABI) and to support the families. The foundation also announced today that recording artist Kristy Kay will be headlining the 15-city tour.
Apple vetted and launched a sick iPhone app called "BABY SHAKER". Upon learning of this application The Sarah Jane Brain Foundation asked for three things from Apple and AT&T: 1) removal of the application 2) a public apology by Apple to the families and victims of Shaken Baby Syndrome along with a complete accounting for how this happened and 3) the development of a plan to mitigate the damages it has caused. Apple has refused to publicly apologize to the families, provide a full accounting of what happened and take any actions to mitigate the damage it has caused prevention efforts across the country.
The first leg of the "American PABI Heroes Tour" spans 15 cities across the country, beginning in Boston on May 3 and ending in Seattle, Washington on May 17. The tour will culminate on June 5 with a Grand Finale event in New York City featuring the winner from each of the 15 cities.
Kristy Kay will be performing in all 15 cities along with serving as one of the celebrity judges. She will be joined in each city by other local celebrity judges who will be deciding which performer will win the local prize money and the right to compete in New York City on June 5th to become the American PABI Hero. Kristy Kay is a well-known recording artist and songwriter.
Band applications for those cities are being accepted online through the website www.pabitour.com and involve submitting a music video clip as a sample performance. The semi-finalists selected from the online submissions in each city will perform one song live during that city’s tour night. Many of the semi-finalists have already been selected.
In New York City, one of the selected semi-finalists who will be competing is popular singer Stephanie Rooker, whose CD "Tellin’ You Right Now" was released in early 2008. Rooker, whose younger brother died from a brain injury in 1997, is well known for her efforts in brain injury advocacy.
A PABI Hero is a musician or group of musicians who have either already been supportive of a family affected by PABI (Pediatric Acquired Brain Injury), or who have a desire to help these families.
PABI stands for Pediatric Acquired Brain Injury, which is a brain injury sustained in children and young adults from birth up to age 25. It is the number one cause of death and disability for children/young adults in the United States.
Causes of PABI include traumatic events like motor vehicle accidents, assaults/child abuse, falls, blast injuries from war, sports concussions, being struck by an object, gunshot wounds and bicycle accidents as well as non-traumatic causes such as strokes, brain tumors, poisoning, lack of oxygen, meningitis, ischemia, poisoning, epilepsy, pediatric AIDS and substance abuse.
Entrants who have already been sponsoring a particular family of a child or young adult with PABI can choose to match themselves with that family by providing the family’s details along with the entry form.
Bands or musicians who do not know of a PABI family but would like to enter can still do so, and the Sarah Jane Brain Foundation will match them with a PABI family to sponsor in their local area.
By entering, bands or musicians agree to host a fundraiser for their sponsored PABI family within one calendar year of the tour date for their city.
TicketWeb and TicketMaster have partnered with the Sarah Jane Brain Foundation to sell tickets in 12 of the 15 cities for the American PABI Heroes Tour live competitions. They are available for purchase in advance by going to www.ticketweb.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
For more information on the American PABI Heroes Tour and for the official entry form, visit the website at www.pabitour.com.