STONY BROOK, NY- The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF) will hold a special film screening and charity food drive event 2pm on May 6th at the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (97 Main Street, Stony Brook, NY) featuring the documentary film Harry Chapin: When In Doubt, Do Something which celebrates the extraordinary life and activism of LIMEHOF inductee singer songwriter Harry Chapin from Huntington Bay.
While most people know Chapin for his music, including his classic song “Cat’s in the Cradle”, LIMEHOF is on a mission to educate the public about the significant legacies of its inductees who often contributed much more than is commonly known to the community and world around us.
Chapin, who was inducted into LIMEHOF in 2006, is an excellent example as someone who was involved with a wide range of charity organizations including co-founding WhyHunger in 1975 and Chapin also founded Long Island Cares in 1980. Today the organization is headquartered in Hauppauge, NY with food pantry locations throughout Nassau and Suffolk Counties including Freeport, Lindenhurst, Huntington Station, and Hampton Bays.
The event is free with the purchase of a general admission ticket. The Q&A portion with the filmmakers will be hosted by LIMEHOF Vice Chairman and the longtime host of the Sounds of Film Radio Show Tom Needham.
“This remarkable documentary showcases Chapin’s unmatched musical contributions, as well as his steadfast dedication to addressing hunger,” Needham said. “Chapin's life and career serve as a testament to the ability of music and advocacy to bring about positive change in the world.”
The event is also part charity food drive as there will be collection boxes and LIMEHOF is asking that attendees bring food donations for Harry Chapin’s Long Island Cares organization whose CEO Paule Pachter is featured in the film and will be participating as a panelist.
“I always believed that at some time in our history that there would be a documentary film made about Harry’s life and dedication towards ending hunger which was his passion during his short life of 38 years,” Pachter said. “Newsday named Harry one of the most important Long Islanders of the 20th Century. His passion towards ending hunger along with performing half of his annual concerts to raise funds to address hunger and food insecurity has been recognized many times since his passing in 1981, and many schools reference Harry when discussing hunger, poverty, and social justice. I was honored to be asked to be a part of the film to discuss the founding of Long Island Cares and how we work to continue his legacy.”
As a dedicated humanitarian, Chapin fought to end world hunger. He was a key participant in the creation of the Presidential Commission on World Hunger in 1977. In 1987, Chapin was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his humanitarian work. That medal is currently on display along with other Harry Chapin artifacts at the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame.
For more information about LIMEHOF and upcoming events visit https://www.limusichalloffame.org/museum/