Ann's Campaign for a Safer America
"Through Ann's Campaign, the Harris family hopes that by realizing Ann's promise and the senselessness of her killing, others may strive to defeat the notion of violence through a personal commitment to peace and happiness."
Coleman and Greg Harris are the father and brother of the late Ann Harris of Alexandria, Virginia, who was shot and killed in Marh 1997 while visiting a friend near Tacoma, Washington, the victim of a random drive-by shooting.
In the wake of Ann's tragic death, Coleman, Greg and the Harris family thoughtfully organized Ann's Campaign for a Safer America, a nationwide, internet-based (www.annscampaign.org) campaign designed to help us all exude the qualities that Ann radiated in her short and inspiring life - encouraging us all to Smile More, Care More, Love More and Be More Understanding.
Upon graduating from Purdue University in Indiana, Coleman served as a high school teacher and staff person for the Indiana Department of Public Instruction before moving to Washington, D.C. in 1967 to become a program specialist for the National Future Farmers of America (FFA). While serving in this capacity, Coleman exhibited tremendous dedication to youth and education, a commitment that was fully realized in 1977 when the U.S. Department of Education selected him as the national executive secretary of the FFA's 450,000 member organization of high school students enrolled in agricultural education.
In addition to his achievements with the FFA, Coleman has been very involved in PTA activities in Mt. Vernon, Virginia, the Washington, D.C. suburb where he resides with his wife, Jean. In 1996, Coleman was named "Father of the Year" by the U.S. Department of Education and served on a panel, chaired by Vice President Al Gore, which focused on the role of fathers in families. Since Ann's death, Coleman has been named PTA President of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, and received th J.C. Penney Golden Rule Award for the Washington, D.C. area.
As Ann's closest sibling and a graduate of Purdue, Greg shares his late sister's love of sports and his father's concern for education and young people, serving as Head Coach of the Central High School Boys Varsity Soccer Team in Evansville, Indiana, where he has taught Social Studies for the past five year. A father of two and a member of the Vanderburgh County Young Republican's Board of Directors, Greg's future aspirations include pursuing careers in educational administration and elected office.
Like her father and brother before her, Ann had gained early admission to Purdue just months prior to her death, poised to follow in the Harris family tradition of academic achievement and campus leadership. Through Ann's Campaign, the Harris family hopes that by realizing Ann's promise and the senselessness of her killing, others may strive to defeat the notion of violence through a personal commitment to peace and happiness.
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