First of all, the incredibly talented and dedicated Public Diplomacy Department at the U.S. Embassy. I would like to single out Tilly de Groot who has worked tirelessly to make this evening a success. In addition I would like to thank Taskforce Europe and its dynamic director Emmie van Halder as well as NewSkies Satellites, Facilicorp, Publimarket and Aspect Communications. I would like to take a couple of minutes to explain why the American Embassy chose to co-host the opening of this movie with Warner Brothers, and to invite all of you here. Well, we enjoy a night at the movies as much as anyone else, and I hope you will enjoy this one, but there is a deeper reason.
Public service is as American, and as varied, as jazz.
It can come in the form of a single act of kindness, a personal commitment to a person or a cause, or a formal program organized by the private sector, the public sector, or both. Ellen Lovell, former Deputy Assistant to the President and Advisor to the First Lady on the Millennium, will speak about her experiences and accumulated knowledge organizing three White House Conferences on Philanthropy. Frits van Passen of Nike will discuss his company's community outreach. Americans and American companies do not have a monopoly on philanthropy. Volunteerism and philanthropy are growing elsewhere, including in the Netherlands, a country renowned for its generosity as a humanitarian donor.