THE GALEN AND BARBARA ROWELL LECTURE SERIES and the presentation of THE ROWELL AWARD FOR THE ART OF ADVENTURE

Image courtesy of Greg Mortenson, Central Asia Institute

Please join us for a special Rowell Lecture event, “AN EVENING WITH GREG MORTENSON,” a reception and program with the co-founder of the Central Asia Institute and best-selling co-author of Three Cups of Tea as he pays tribute to his friends Galen and Barbara Rowell and discusses his life’s work in promoting education and literacy, especially for girls, in the remote mountain regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The program will also feature the opening of the nomination period for the 2008 Rowell Award for the Art of Adventure. The Award honors that adventurer whose artistic passion illuminates the wild places of the world, and whose accomplishments significantly benefit both the environment and the peoples who inhabit these lands and regions.

Bob Hansen, Rowell Legacy Committee member and President of The Yosemite Fund will emcee this special evening.

This event is presented by The Rowell Legacy Committee, The Yosemite Fund and the Commonwealth Club of California.

Date & Location: September 24, 2008 at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. 950 Mason Street.

5:30 – 7:15 pm VIP Reception with Greg Mortenson. Includes wine, hors d’oeuvres and preferred program seating - $150.

7:30 pm Program: Rowell Lecture with Greg Mortenson. $25 Commonwealth Club members and $35 non-members.

TICKETS: Available on July 10, 2008. Reservations can be made through the Commonwealth Club website, http://www.commonwealthclub.org, and will be confirmed by email. Tickets will be sold at the door only if space is available.

Presentation of the 2007 Rowell Award for the Art of Adventure:
The fourth annual Rowell Lecture featured speaker and celebrated photographer Annie Leibovitz as she showed and discussed her work. The program also included the presentation of the 2007 Rowell Award for the Art of Adventure to photographer, adventurer, environmentalist and author James Balog.

Presentation of the 2006 Rowell Award for the Art of Adventure:
The third annual Rowell Lecture, “AN EVENING WITH TOM BROKAW,” featured a reception and program with the former NBC Evening News anchor and best-selling author as he payed tribute to long time friends Galen and Barbara Rowell and spoke on the topic of “Deleting the Virtual Life”. The program also included the presentation of the 2006Rowell Award for the Art of Adventure to exceptional photographer Beth Wald.