- Bill Ayres
: For the former radical activist, see
Bill Ayers ."Bill Ayres is a radio talk show host and Executive Director and co-founder of
World Hunger Year .Ayres became a
Catholic priest for the Archdiocese inNew York in 1966, but always had a fondness for radio broadcasting, starting as WGSM onLong Island . He began hosting and producing a weekly radio talk show on New York radio station WPLJ 95.5 FM in 1973. [Edel, Raymond A. [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-25107361.html "Sounds of the Riviera"] , "The Record ", February 28, 2000.] At first called On This Rock, it featured interviews with rock musicians, that focused on the spiritual meaning of the music to them, rather than its commercial aspects. Known on-air as Father Bill Ayres, and then titled The Bill Ayres Show, he has taken thousands of calls and offered advice about personal, relational, spiritual and social values, [cite web | url=http://www.wplj.com/showdj.asp?DJID=4086 | title=WPLJ Ayres Show Page | publisher=WPLJ ] Konig, Susan. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C07E5D71038F93AA15750C0A96E958260 "Q&A: Bill Ayres; In Forefront of Fighting World Hunger"] . "The New York Times ". March 29, 1998] as well as playing music by artists whose outlook he thought along similar lines as his.He served for ten years at St. Joseph's Church in
Babylon, New York until 1979. He resigned from the active priesthood in the early 1980s and focused on charitable work full-time.In 1975, Ayres and his close friend, folksinger and songwriter
Harry Chapin , saw a pressing need to aid the impoverished with basic needs such as food. They began World Hunger Year (WHY), an organization with a stated mission to defeat hunger through charity, using grassroots efforts and rallying celebrities and leaders to help promote the cause.Bux, Michael. [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0B10F9395413728DDDAE0894DD405B888BF1D3 "Fighting World Hunger From Mineola"] . "The New York Times ". May 7, 1978] Ayres has served as Executive Director since 1983. Ayres and Chapin believed that solutions to hunger and poverty are found through long-term solutions, like supporting community-based organizations that empower individuals and build self-reliance.Ayres has spun off two other national hunger coalitions, The Medford Group of national hunger organizations and the National Jobs for All Coalition. He is also a board member of
Long Island Cares , Long Island's food bank.He is the co-author of the book "All You Need is Love: And 99 Other Life Lessons From Classic Rock Songs" with radio colleague
Pete Fornatale [cite book | last= Ayres | first= Bill| title=All You Need is Love: And 99 Other Life Lessons From Classic Rock Songs| year= 1998 | publisher=Fireside Books | location= New York | isbn=0-684-84529-6 | url=http://www.simonsays.com/content/book.cfm?tab=1&pid=408499] .He resides in
Huntington, New York with his wife Jeannine. He has two daughters, Michelle born in 1981 and Suzanne, born in 1985.References
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