DES MOINES, IA - Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller and Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald announced their endorsement of Bruce Braley for Senate today.

Miller and Fitzgerald are the first statewide elected officials in Iowa to announce their endorsement of Braley.  Braley announced last month that he had formed a committee to run for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Tom Harkin.

Miller said, "Bruce Braley fights for Iowa, plain and simple.   From championing policies that have helped countless Iowa veterans to working to prevent student loan rate increases from hurting Iowa students, Bruce has never forgotten where he's come from.  He'll be even more effective in the US Senate, and I'm proud to endorse him today."

Fitzgerald said, "In a Washington defined by fiscal irresponsibility and recklessness, Bruce Braley has been a breath of fresh air, working across party lines to save taxpayers money and strengthen the middle class.  We need leaders in Congress who will stand up for policies that tackle our nation's growing debt and use taxpayer money more wisely.  Bruce Braley will stand up for common sense in the Senate, and that's why I'm proud to endorse him today."

Braley said, "When I was growing up in Brooklyn, Iowa, and someone had a problem, they didn't ask what party you belonged to.  They asked for your help and they got it.  I'm running for Senate to be an effective voice for Iowans of all backgrounds, and I'm thrilled to have Attorney General Miller and Treasurer Fitzgerald's endorsement today."

In 2007, Miller and Fitzgerald endorsed then-Senator Barack Obama for president just one day after Obama made his candidacy official.

Braley has received a flood of endorsements in recent weeks.  Last month, Rep. Dave Loebsack and former Rep. Leonard Boswell endorsed Braley.  Additionally, eight major labor organizations have endorsed Braley, including the Iowa State Association of Letter Carriers, the Iowa Postal Workers Union, the Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 3 Iowa Union, UAW Region 4, SEIU Iowa - Local 199, AFSCME Iowa Council 61, the Iowa State Council of Machinists, and the Great Plains Laborers' District Council.

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Celebrate Preservation Month at Brucemore with free guided tours of the Mansion on Saturday, May 4 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and Sunday, May 5 from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. Explore over a century of Cedar Rapids history through the lives of the three families who called Brucemore home.  Follow a guide on a tour of the 21-room Queen Anne Mansion and investigate the art, furnishings, technology, architecture, surrounding landscape, and stories preserved at Brucemore. The Mansion tour provides a glimpse into the past and an incomparable way to understand modern Cedar Rapids and Eastern Iowa. Tours will begin approximately every 15 minutes with the last tour beginning at 3:00 p.m.

In 1971, the National Trust created Preservation Week to spotlight grassroots preservation efforts around the country, and has since grown into an annual celebration for local communities to honor their past and help build their future. The theme for 2013 is "See it. Save it. Celebrate it."

Brucemore will offer other Preservation Month activities in May, including:

• Evening Mansion Tour - May 2, 6:00 p.m.
• Historic Neighborhood Walk - May 9, 6:00 p.m.
• Brucemore Summer Plant Sale - May 11, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
• Brucemore Arts Share: An Evening of Literature and Music - May 14, 7:00 p.m.
• Hired Help Tour: Working on a Country Estate - May 16, 6:00 p.m.
• Nooks and Crannies Mansion Tours - May 23, 6:00 p.m.
• Brucemore in Bloom Tour - May 30, 6:00 p.m.

For more information about Preservation Month activities during May and throughout the year, visit Brucemore's website at www.brucemore.org or call (319) 362-7375. Visit the National Trust for Historic Preservation website at www.preservationnation.org for more information about Preservation Month.

About Brucemore

Experience Brucemore, an unparalleled blend of tradition and culture, located at 2160 Linden Drive SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. At the heart of the historic 26-acre estate stands a nineteenth-century mansion filled with the stories of three Cedar Rapids families.  Concerts, theater, programs, and tours enliven the site and celebrate the heritage of a community.  For more information, call (319) 362-7375 or visit www.brucemore.org.

St. Ambrose University, April 6, 2013- In college, Saturdays are usually spent lounging around without a care in the world; however, on April 6, 2013 the students of St. Ambrose University will be participating in their first full-length Dance Marathon.  Last year, in less than 10 weeks, a group of SAU students planned and held a four-hour preview event to gain interest from the student body.  More than 200 students attended the event and over $6,000 was raised.  This year, the club hopes to exceed its goal of $15,000.

"Dance Marathon is more than just one event?it's a culture on campus now.  With over 350 dancers so passionate about helping some amazing Kiddos, we've created a culture of helping and service on campus.  And there's no one better or more worthy of helping than kids battling every day for their health and happiness?especially since these kids are from the Quad Cities Area.  'FTK' isn't just three letters?it's a way of life for a lot of us students now.  'For The Kids!' is so much more than three little words!"  -Mark Brauweiler, SAU Dance Marathon President

This year SAU Dance Marathon is supporting 10 amazing Miracle Kids and their families as well as the families of 3 Kiddos who are Dancing in Our Hearts after losing their battles. Throughout the year, members of the organization have held events for the kids and their families, such as a movie night, trick-or-treating in the residence halls, and a carnival night.  The dedicated members of Executive Board and the 350+ registered dancers had the opportunity to get to know the Kiddos on a personal level throughout the year, which in return drives their passion to fundraise For The Kids (FTK!).

Dance Marathon is a culmination of a year of fundraising by dancers to celebrate the lives of the children and families that the money is supporting.   Dancers will stand the entire event to celebrate life and hope for the future. The money that is raised at St. Ambrose University Dance Marathon specifically benefits the children and families of the University of Iowa Children's Hospital in Iowa City, Iowa, a Children's Miracle Network Hospital. These donations help fund many areas of hospital need such as enhancements, program support, and primary equipment. The results of these donations help improve the quality of life of the children and their families along with providing education and research of illnesses and treatments.

To learn more about St. Ambrose University Dance Marathon or to donate to this cause, please visit our website www.saudm.org .

Rock Island - Christian Care, a local nonprofit charity that provides shelter and an array of services for homeless men, and women and children who have experienced domestic violence, now offers a support group called Understanding Suicide: ASAP (Awareness, Support, Action, Prevention). The first meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 3rd at 4:00 p.m. at the Rock Island Public Library, 401 19 th Street in Rock Island. The Understanding Suicide group will meet every other Wednesday from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m.

The group has been formed to serve individuals who have contemplated or attempted suicide, those coping with the suicide of a loved one and those concerned about a loved one by providing education, resources, support and an opportunity to share and process thoughts and feelings related to suicide. Although a mental health expert will facilitate the group, this is not a therapy group.

"I went through a hardship ten years ago, and I attempted suicide," said Holly Bailey, one of the group's founders. "I wish people would feel more comfortable talking about mental illness?there's still a stigma that's attached to it, leaving people feeling helpless and all alone."

The group's goals include sharing experiences related to suicide, learning suicide's warning signs, understanding the process for helping at-risk individuals, and providing information and knowledge about preventing suicide. For more information, contact Sharon De Frieze at (309) 799-5421.

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