25 25 YEARS YEARS ATTEND A CENTENNIAL EVENT With the centennial commemoration of Grand Canyon National Park kicking off this month, Grand Canyon Conservancy and Grand Canyon National Park will present a calendar of free events throughout the year. Events at the canyon include the Founder’s Day celebration on Feb. 26, a fun-filled Summerfest & Star Party on the South and North Rims in June, and other special performances and presentations throughout the year. Go to grandcanyon.org/centennial to learn more. kids,” Schroeder said. GCC started the Field Institute in 1993 at the request of the park to develop more educational programming. The institute helps visitors experience Grand Canyon through classes, guided hiking trips and educational tours conducted by the people who know the canyon best — experts including geologists, historians, ecologists and archaeologists. As the park’s centennial nears, GCC is working hard to inspire people to protect and enhance Grand Canyon National Park for the next century and beyond. “To be able to work for the organization during this time has been incredible,” said Ojeda. “It’s been really fun to see all of Arizona get involved and want to promote it. From the Desert Botanical Garden to local breweries in Flagstaff to our partners over at Grand Canyon Trust, it’s been a really uniting experience.” SEDONA FILM FESTIVAL The Sedona International Film Festival was founded in 1995 as a project of the Sedona Cultural Park. A three-day exhibition of independent film, the festival celebrated cinema from around the world. In 2003, the festival became its own nonprofit organization and began an expansion that included monthly programs, multi-week film series and more. Gradually, the festival grew from a three-day event to an annual nine-day celebration. To honor the festival’s silver anniversary, the nonprofit screened more films than ever before to select this year’s lineup. As a result, 160 films — selected from more than 1,400 entries — will be presented from Feb. 23 to March 3. In addition, events, parties, workshops and celebrity guests such as Jane Alexander, Ed Asner, Richard Dreyfuss, Diane Ladd and Blythe Danner will be on hand to celebrate the best in independent film from around the world. For tickets and information, go to sedonafilmfestival.org . TEACH FOR AMERICA Teach For America is the largest and most diverse provider of teachers serving in low-income communities. The organization has a proud 25-year history in Phoenix, represented by the strength of the organization’s school partnerships, and the impact its 112 corps members and more than 1,000 alumni have had. Working shoulder-to-shoulder with students, educators and community members, corps members go beyond traditional expectations to support the academic and personal growth of their students. The impact they have in the classroom shapes the trajectory of their careers. Today, nearly 500 Teach For America corps members and alumni teach in Arizona’s schools. To learn more, go to teachforamerica.org/where-we-work/phoenix . 28 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | FEBRUARY 2019

25 20 YEARS YEARS CELEBRITY FIGHT NIGHT Celebrity Fight Night worked with guest of honor Muhammad Ali for 22 years to raise money for the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix. The heavyweight attended every event with enthusiasm. Now, though the champ is gone, the fight continues. Celebrities and professional athletes from all over the country travel to Phoenix to take part in the glamorous fundraiser each year. The power-packed night not only leaves guests with great memories, it benefits the Alzheimer’s and Memory Disorders Program at Barrow Neurological Institute in addition to other charities. To learn more, visit cfnphx.com . PANDA The Phoenix Women’s Board of the Steele Children’s Research Center — affectionately known as PANDA (People Acting Now Discovering Answers) — partners with the center’s researchers and physicians to improve treatments and find cures for devastating childhood diseases. PANDA is an all-volunteer board consisting of more than 150 Phoenix-area women. Over the last 20 years, its children’s fashion show and other activities have contributed more than $12 million to the Steele Center — the only academic pediatric medical research center in Arizona. And seed money from PANDA has been the catalyst for nearly $100 million in grants to fund children’s medical research. The group takes pride in knowing these funds have made possible lifesaving outcomes for Arizona children and their families, including some of their own. To learn more, go to azpanda.org . COVER STORY CONTINUED This year, Grand Canyon National Park is celebrating its past and working with Grand Canyon Conservancy to protect the park's unique natural, cultural and historic resources. Photo by Lear Miller Photo by Michael Quinn FEBRUARY 2019 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 29