The SWAIA Live Auction Gala, August 21 at t]]> A handmade, one-of-a-kind necklace will be the signature item at the Southwest Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) Live Auction Gala at the August Santa Fe Indian Market. The collaborative work is by four award-winning Native American artists. The Auction Gala, sponsored by Carolyn Pollack Jewelry, is a benefit for SWAIA, presenter of the world-renowned Indian Market held each year in Santa Fe.

The SWAIA Live Auction Gala, August 21 at the La Fonda Hotel in Santa Fe, is one of the most sought-after tickets of Indian Market weekend. This year, the auction will conclude with an opportunity to purchase a sensational necklace created by renowned Native American designers Roderick Tenorio, Veronica Benally,tiffany Pendant, Fritz Casuse, and Cody Sanderson.

Valued at $39,000, the necklace is being donated for the benefit auction through the generosity of the four artists. The inspiration for the finely crafted necklace comes from nature and features butterflies created by each designer mixed among flowers and Native American symbols. Created from finely wrought sterling silver, gold and precious and natural gemstones, the necklace is a unique piece of handcrafted art. It is expected to generate significant interest by collectors.

The collaboration by the four designers was first suggested by Dr. Bruce Bernstein, executive director of SWAIA, and supported by Bill and Carolyn Pollack of Carolyn Pollack Jewelry. The butterfly necklace is the latest example of a recent tradition to bring a group of artists together to work on a collaborative piece of art for the annual Auction Gala. In prior years, teams of Native American artists have customized a motorcycle, a decorative box and a concha belt with their designs.

"We provided the environment where the collaboration could blossom," Carolyn Pollack said. "As longstanding supporters of SWAIA and the Presenting Sponsors of the gala auction, we wanted to offer an outstanding piece of art for the auction. This year’s collaboration was a true group effort with the four Native Designers brainstorming together and bouncing ideas off each other. I believe the depth of collaboration resulted in a truly unique, outstanding piece. There certainly is not another one like it."

Carolyn Pollack Jewelry is the presenting sponsor of this year’s gala and the award sponsor for Best in Classification for Jewelry, the top jewelry award given at Indian Market. Carolyn Pollack Jewelry’s sponsorship of the auction gala and jewelry award is part of the company’s mission to promote innovation in Native American jewelry design and to introduce a new generation of collectors to contemporary Native American artists.

"Although a collaboration, the necklace has a unique contribution from each of the designers,tiffany money clips for sale," Carolyn Pollack said. "Each of the four artists designed one of the butterflies and they each have their own style, and yet they all came together in this piece. Fans of each designer will recognize instantly the butterfly that designer created, and yet everyone’s work is integrated into the whole. It was truly a creative collaboration, and I think the end result is a stunning work of wearable art."

Through a partnership that stretches back as far as 10 years, Carolyn Pollack Jewelry licenses and manufactures designs from all four Native American designers–Tenorio, Benally, Casuse and Sanderson–and introduces their designs to millions of viewers nationwide by featuring their work on QVC(R),shop for tiffany, QVC.com,key rings, in their own retail stores, and online at www.CarolynPollack.com.

"We’re excited to see iconic American Indian jewelry of New Mexico evolve in an exciting direction and become an international sensation on television," said Dr. Bruce Bernstein, SWAIA executive director. "The collaborative piece brings attention to the four Native American designers whose success stories include the way they’ve launched successful businesses and partnered with Carolyn Pollack Jewelry to license their designs."

All four artists will have booths at Indian Market where they will have one-of-a-kind handcrafted pieces inspired by the necklace available for collectors to purchase. A limited quantity of reproductions of these jewelry pieces manufactured in the company’s Albuquerque, New Mexico production facility are also scheduled to be available for purchase through QVC during a broadcast in August for customers who can’t make it to Santa Fe for Indian Market.

"We are honored to have the opportunity to interpret the artistic elements of the auction piece in manufactured reproductions available on QVC and in our retail stores," Carolyn Pollack said. "It brings the collaboration to a new level."

"Over the years we’ve developed relationships with some of the award-winning artists of Indian Market as part of our mission to evolve Native American arts, which you can see in the range of the designers we work with, from Roderick Tenorio’s more traditional styles to the contemporary works of Fritz Casuse and everything in between," said Bill Pollack. "We want to broaden the concept of what Indian jewelry is. This is not your grandmother’s squash blossom necklace but exciting new designs from acclaimed native artists."

About Carolyn Pollack Jewelry

Carolyn Pollack Jewelry features expressive silhouettes and distinctive gemstone color combinations that embody designer Carolyn Pollack’s own lifestyle and fashion sense. This is a fresh, eclectic collection of statement pieces celebrating the natural beauty and spirit of the American woman.

Carolyn Pollack Jewelry is proudly crafted in Albuquerque, NM from recycled silver and gemstones from around the world and is featured on QVC, at the Carolyn Pollack boutique in the ABQ Uptown mall in Albuquerque and at the Southwest Spirit Gallery at the Texan resort in Grapevine,discount tiffany bangles, TX as well as online at www.CarolynPollack.com.

About SWAIA

SWAIA’s mission is to be an advocate for Native Americans arts and cultures, particularly in the Southwest, and to create economic and cultural opportunities for Native American artists by producing the Santa Fe Indian Market; cultivating excellence and innovation across art forms; and developing programs and events that support, promote and honor Native artists.

What is unusually rare about these artifacts is that the ancient pair represents the most Holy Symbol of ISLAM - The Crescent Moon and The Star and The Pleiades Star Cluster.

Although The Crescent and Star symbol is much older than]]> Recently, very rare 1 BC – 2 AD Gold artifacts, symbolically named as "The Pleiades Star Crescent Necklace & Amulet" became internationally available for acquisition on KingsNecklace.com.

What is unusually rare about these artifacts is that the ancient pair represents the most Holy Symbol of ISLAM – The Crescent Moon and The Star and The Pleiades Star Cluster.

Although The Crescent and Star symbol is much older than Islam itself, the appearance of it on ancient gold jewelry is very rare. The Necklace and Amulet is one of the earliest representations of this religious symbol in the form of ancient gold artwork with no analog known to exist.

This artifacts’ scientific name,discount tiffany cuff Links, "The Persian-Sarmatian Tribal King’s Ritual Gold Pectoral Necklace & Amulet", provides the insight into the great historical and archaeological importance of these two items.

Discoveries do not end here. The Necklace by itself is attributed to "The Pleiades Star Cluster",tiffany clearance, a group of Seven Stars in the constellation of Taurus that were well known celestial and mythological sights throughout antiquity.

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Spearheaded by the nonprofit organization,tiffany key rings clearance, Amigos de los Rios, the Emerald Necklace project would unite trails, parks and greenway]]> A plan to connect trails and parks along the Rio Hondo and San Gabriel rivers into a single loop could move closer to becoming a reality if the City Council decides tonight to join the Emerald Necklace Coalition.

Spearheaded by the nonprofit organization,tiffany key rings clearance, Amigos de los Rios, the Emerald Necklace project would unite trails, parks and greenways into a 17-mile loop covering 1,shop for tiffany money clips,500 acres.

If the council decides to join the project, Monrovia Canyon Park could eventually be part of the network.

Amigos President Claire Robinson said she was "delighted" at the prospect of Monrovia joining because of the city’s reputation for being environmentally conscious.

"We are super excited, because we consider

Monrovia in the San Gabriel Valley and gateway area a leading city," Robinson said. "They’re so proactive in terms of the environment."

Monrovia would join 33 other entities that have signed on since 2004,tiffany rings on sale, including cities, school districts,tiffany bangles clearance, homeowners’ associations and Los Angeles County.

City Manager Scott Ochoa said the city’s membership in the coalition would allow it to better compete for state and federal grant funding for "green" projects.

"I think that regional approach really gives you a much more competitive edge," Ochoa said.

Being part of the coalition also will give Monrovia access to green infrastructure technology studies conducted by the coalition, Ochoa said.

Duarte joined the coalition in 2005 and has since worked with it on a variety of recreational projects, according to Duarte Deputy City Manager Karen Herrera.

Since the state budget crisis hit, the coalition’s contact with the city has waned, however. Herrera hoped Monrovia’s membership could change that.

"With Monrovia joining, maybe this is an opportunity to really get the coalition restarted," Herrera said.

While she touted the completion of four projects in the last five years, Robinson acknowledged the project hit a major snag in 2008 when bond funding dried up.

"A lot of the projects that we had ready… were frozen in 2008 without any warning really,tiffany key rings sale," she said.

Robinson said she realizes people and public agencies have been struggling with other challenges, like access to health care, quality education, and unemployment and that environmental issues have taken a back seat somewhat.

"It’s very hard to focus on some of these other issues that seem secondary, but we believe they’re integral," she said.

Earlier,cheap tiffany key rings, US used to allow duty-free status to certain products from developing countries to help them expand their economies. Other items that have been struck off the duty-free list are pa]]> In a blow to Indian jewelers, the US has stopped the duty-free status for gold necklaces from India as the product was found to be competitive in US markets.

Earlier,cheap tiffany key rings, US used to allow duty-free status to certain products from developing countries to help them expand their economies. Other items that have been struck off the duty-free list are passenger tyres from Thailand and wood flooring from Brazil.

After assessing which products should continue to benefit from duty-free treatment under GSP (Generalised System of Preferences), President Barack Obama determined that five products from three beneficiary countries are now sufficiently competitive in the United States.

So, duty-free treatment will be withdrawn for those products, including certain passenger tyres from Thailand,tiffany money clips clearance, wood flooring from Brazil, and gold rope necklaces from India.

In all,tiffany Pendants on sale, the US will continue to provide duty-free treatment to 110 products from 19 beneficiary countries, whose imports exceed the statutory ceilings by only a small amount.

In 2009,discount tiffany necklaces, the total value of imports of these 110 products was $613 million. Obama also granted Egypt’s request to add frozen beans and frozen mixed vegetables to the list of eligible products.

Published by HT Syndication with permission from The Financial Express. For more information on news feed please contact Sarabjit Jagirdar at htsyndication@hindustantimes.com

India, July 02 — The Indian gold item which enjoyed the duty-free status till date can no more reap those benefits in the US, as Barack Obama, the US President, is of the belief that five products from three beneficiary countries under the generalized system of preferences (GSP) are adequately competitive in the US.  Obama Administration’s Annual Review under the GSP program has withdrawn duty free treatment to products from different countries including certain passenger tyres from Thailand, wood flooring from Brazil apart from our gold rope necklaces. Under the GSP,shop for tiffany, certain selected products from developing countries are allowed duty-free treatment in the US which helps these developing countries to expand their economies. Currently it has around 110 products, valued at $613 million last year, from 19 beneficiary countries. These countries continue to enjoy duty-free treatment because their imports exceeded the statutory ceilings by only a small amount. The decision is set to have adverse implications on the Indian gems and jewellery industry as the prices of the rope necklace will shoot up leading to decrease in demand for the India made gold item in the US.

This Valentine's Eve, the restaurant at Holiday Inn Harrogate is offering lovebirds a sumptuous fourcourse me]]> WILL there be a diamond for dessert this Valentine’s Day? Holiday Inn Harrogate has teamed up with Sym Jewellery to offer one Valentine’s diner a beautiful 18ct white gold and diamond necklace below,shop for tiffany rings, worth [pounds]700.

This Valentine’s Eve, the restaurant at Holiday Inn Harrogate is offering lovebirds a sumptuous fourcourse meal with a rose for the lady for just [pounds]29.95 per person on Saturday,buy tiffany bracelets, February 13. Why not make the most of the night with an overnight stay for just [pounds]119 per couple, including dinner and breakfast? All guests at the Valentine’s event will have the chance to enter into the prize draw for this fantastic prize.

Sym Jewellery is an online supplier of high-quality bespoke, off-the-shelf and designer jewellery and can create the perfect piece for your loved one on Valentine’s Day and all year round. Renowned for its exquisite ranges, the unsurpassed quality of gems and finished pieces combined with the personal service each customer receives, Sym Jewellery is the perfect choice for a romantic gift for someone special. For more information, visit symjewellery. co. uk or call 01254-233893.

For details on how to win the necklace or to book at table on Valentine’s Eve call the hotel on 0871-942-9261. More information on qmh-hotels. com.

To stand a chance of winning the meal-for-two and overnight stay at Holiday Inn Harrogate, on the town’s Kings Road,Bead bracelet, just answer the following question: Which mythical character famous for arrows is traditionally associated with Valentine’s Day?

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4.The two prizes refer to a four-course meal for two people including a rose for the lady and an overnight stay including breakfast. Valid on Saturday,tiffany, February 13.

5.Necklace can only be won by a diner at a QMH hotel Valentine’s event.

Diners will be entered into a prize draw and informed at a later date.

Losben lives on Long Island,]]> "Silly Bandz," a recent fashion trend embraced mostly by kids and teenagers, are bracelets shaped like different images, and when stretched can be used as jewelry. While the fad is still at the height of its popularity,tiffany key rings clearance, Rabbi Emily Losben is ready to jump on the bandwagon.

Losben lives on Long Island,tiffany necklace, where she is a rabbi at Sinai Reform Temple. She lives in a small Jewish community of about 100 families where she serves as the director of the religious school as well.

"I remember seeing my kids with these Silly Bandz and thinking they are so cute,shop for tiffany earrings," Losben said.

One aspect kids love about Silly Bandz is their ability to trade their different shapes among friends. Losben said her students trade their Silly Bandz all the time, but was taken back when kids at her religious school were trading Christmas tree Silly Bandz.

"It would be great if our kids could have Jewish Silly Bandz,tiffany earrings on sale," Losben said.

Losben said one place where kids trade their Silly Bandz the most is school. She said her kids go to school with mostly non-Jews, and having Jewish symbols as Silly Bandz would give them a chance to show off their Jewish pride, and enable them to explainwhat Judaism is about.

After searching for companies that would allow her to make her own mold of Silly Bandz, Losben found a company in China that would work with her.

"It’s amazing how small the world is that I could communicate with China about these Silly Bandz from my office in New York," Losben said.

After the deal was in place, Losben put her own spin on the product naming her design "Meshuga Bands." Meshuga is Yiddish slang for crazy or senseless.

"I want Meshuga Bands to be about not only Jewish pride," Losben said. "But also a tool for Jewish education."

The first batch of Meshuga Bands is comprised of six different shapes: Jewish star, hamsa, shofar, Torah, dreidel and chai. Losben has a blog where people can go to order bags of her Meshuga Bands. She plans to put individual pictures up of each band, with a description of what the Jewish shape is and what it means.

"I recognize it’s a fad,tiffany," Losben said. "While it lasts though, it will be a nice learning tool."

Losben has already started brainstorming about other ideas for her Meshuga Bands. She said she hopes the Meshuga Bands will make nice b’nai mitzva gifts. Losben said she has already received orders from cities outside of New York.

"It’s cool," Losben said. "In a couple days the word of Meshuga Bands has gotten out there."

Retailers selling the packs of 24 bracelets for $5 to $7 a pop cannot keep them in stock, and the company has had to hire more than 350 employees since October, according to founder Robert Croak. Silly Bandz have generat]]> BCP Imports LLC, maker of the Silly Bandz bracelets that have become an accessory de rigueur on elementary school playgrounds, is the latest small company looking for a way to extend its appeal with pint-sized customers.

Retailers selling the packs of 24 bracelets for $5 to $7 a pop cannot keep them in stock, and the company has had to hire more than 350 employees since October, according to founder Robert Croak. Silly Bandz have generated more than $100 million in annual sales,buy tiffany bracelets, he says.

But keeping Silly Bandz on kids’ wrists — and radar screens — won’t be easy, some say.

Gene Murtha, the former head of Main Street Toy Co. in Simsbury,discount tiffany key rings, Conn., sees similarities between Silly Bandz and Slap Wraps, the fad his old company developed.

Slap Wraps were long pieces of fabric-covered metal that coiled into a bracelet when slapped on the wrist. Like Silly Bandz, they were both a fashion accessory and a bartering chip on the playground. The craze ballooned in 1990 but burst the next year.

Mr. Murtha, who blames the bust in part on a falling out between the company’s partners, says he should have capitalized on the fad by branching out.

"A smart business plan is to take a product and develop it into a brand," says Mr. Murtha, now chief executive of the teddy bear company Gund, a division of Enesco LLC in Itasca, Ill. He recommends that Silly Bandz make more "silly" things to avoid being a one-hit wonder.

Mr. Croak is already moving in that direction, by selling Silly Necklaces and Silly Buttons.

Still, through the decades plenty of toys developed by small companies — think Pet Rocks and Pogs — became all the rage but failed to maintain long-term appeal. Kids, who determine the fate of such products, can be fickle consumers.

"In six months, a child’s view of life has changed dramatically," says Wendy Liebmann, chief executive of WSL Marketing Inc. in New York, which conducts research on retail strategy. "For a child to be absorbed in something, that means that you need to constantly reinvent it."

Some companies have managed to parlay a passing trend into a sustainable hit through licensing opportunities. After creating the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book in the late ’80s, Mirage Studios Inc. managed to ink enough deals to turn its half-shelled heroes into action figures, television stars, and characters on towels and bedspreads. The Turtles even experienced a relatively recent comeback following the "TMNT" movie three years ago.

Others have tried marketing ploys. Ty Inc., a once-small firm that experienced explosive growth with its flagship product, Beanie Babies, kept the consumer frenzy going by promoting its creatures as must-have limited editions.

"Part of the appeal is if it’s hard to find,tiffany Pendant," says Tim Walsh, a toy historian in Sarasota, Fla.

Some companies try follow-up toys. In the late ’90s, Tiger Electronics, a midsize company in Vernon Hills, Ill.,cheap tiffany bracelets, enjoyed mercurial success with Giga Pets — animated, electronic characters in a hand-held device that kids could control. But as the toy’s popularity died out, the company introduced a new kind of pet: Wide-eyed creatures called Furbies that could communicate with each other. Hasbro Inc. launched Furby in 1998, shortly after acquiring Tiger Electronics.

Silly Bandz’s Mr. Croak says his company is adapting to consumers’ transient tastes by taking suggestions from Twitter and the Silly Bandz’s online fan page — options entrepreneurs of the past didn’t have. Most of the colors and designs being developed today, he says,tiffany cuff Links on sale, are generated from the hundreds of suggestions he receives each week.

He is also trying to secure licensing deals to spread the craze into other markets, such as school supplies, board games and smartphone applications. And taking a page from Beanie Babies, Silly Bandz’s Spring pack of butterflies, bees and tulips, has been retired, and won’t return with the same shapes.

Still, there are skeptics who think the Silly Bandz brand isn’t strong enough to last. In order to draw a new wave of children, a product needs to change the way they play, says Gary Cross, professor of modern history who specializes in consumption, childhood and leisure issues.

"It’s not clear in what way [Silly Bandz] are transformative," he says. "Fads that are built around schools and peer association have been around a long, long time and those things have come and gone."

Men Nguyen of Bell Gardens, Calif., won the 41st World Series of Poker's first $10,000 buy-in event early Sunday morning,cuff Links, when he topped a field of 150 players to capture the Seven-Card Stud World Championship at the Rio.

The victory]]> Seven turned out to be the lucky number for the poker player known as "The Master."

Men Nguyen of Bell Gardens, Calif., won the 41st World Series of Poker’s first $10,000 buy-in event early Sunday morning,cuff Links, when he topped a field of 150 players to capture the Seven-Card Stud World Championship at the Rio.

The victory earned Nguyen his seventh World Series of Poker championship bracelet, tying him with Hall of Fame inductee Bill Baxter and Phil Ivey for sixth place among those with the most career World Series of Poker victories.

It has also been seven years since Nguyen captured his last bracelet.

"This is very, very big for me,tiffany cuff Links clearance," Nguyen said following his victory. "The last two bracelets I won were in 2003, and now it’s 2010. I have not won any bracelets because a lot of people have come into our poker world. I haven’t won because it’s kind of hard now. It’s hard to break through."

Nguyen’s victory was worth a paycheck of $394,807. A native of Vietnam, Nguyen was one of poker’s most dominant players during the 1990s. He has cashed in more than 100 major tournaments and won several distinguished titles.

Nguyen, 55, was born in Phan Thiet, Vietnam, and immigrated to the United States in 1978,buy tiffany Pendants, three years after the fall of South Vietnam . Nguyen escaped his native homeland on a boat, which made its way to Malaysia. He was granted political asylum in the United States.

"Every time I make a speech or get into an interview, I want to thank the United States of America for giving me this chance,cheap tiffany bracelets," Nguyen said.

Before this win, Nguyen’s gold bracelet victories came in Seven-Card Stud (1992); Limit Hold’em (1995); Seven-Card Stud High-Low Split (1995); Limit Omaha High-Low Split (1996); Seven-Card Stud (2003); Limit Triple-Draw (2003).

Nguyen has won almost $2.2 million at the World Series of Poker in his career. He has cashed out in events 67 times, which ranks second on the tournament’s all-time list. Phil Hellmuth, the 1989 world poker champion and owner of a record 11 golf bracelets, has the most event cashes at 76.

Nguyen is also tied with T.J. Cloutier with 38 final table appearances. Hellmuth is the all-time leader with 40.

Nguyen’s victory came in the 10th event of the 57-event World Series of Poker,tiffany clearance, which runs through July 17.

Brandon Adams of Pensacola, Fla., was runner-up and he collected $243,958. The final table also included Michael Mizrachi of Mirimar, Fla., and Russian Vladimir Schmelev. They became the first two players at this year’s World Series of Poker to make multiple final table appearances.

They finished one-two in the $50,000 buy-in Poker Players Championship, which ended five days earlier with Mizrachi winning the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy, plus almost $1.6 million.

Contact reporter Howard Stutz at hstutz @reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3871.

"He was most notably characterized by his broad smile and wide eyes, and his optimism and cheerfulness that abounded in the face of a most difficult medical challenge," said Christopher J. Post, headmaster of]]> Zakary Aaron Osiris DeGross, a Boys’ Latin School student who excelled in both the classroom and on the athletic field, died June 18 at Johns Hopkins Hospital after a nearly 1 1/2-year struggle against cancer at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He was 14.

"He was most notably characterized by his broad smile and wide eyes, and his optimism and cheerfulness that abounded in the face of a most difficult medical challenge," said Christopher J. Post, headmaster of the North Baltimore boys private school.

"I’ve known lots of kids over the years,discount tiffany money clips, and Zak sought nothing but unconditional love from those around him. He had an enormous capacity for thoughtfulness and generosity," Mr. Post said. "He was pretty exemplary."

Zak was born in Baltimore and raised in the city’s Coldstream-Homestead-Montebello neighborhood.

He spent his first five school years as a student at Mount Zion Baptist Christian School, where he received special recognition for testing beyond the 12th-grade level in reading.

He transferred to Boys’ Latin in the sixth grade.

"He excelled in Latin and math and played flag football, basketball and lacrosse," said his mother, Lesli J. DeGross.

In March 2009, Zak was diagnosed with Stage 3 renal medullary carcinoma, a rare type of kidney cancer that is linked to sickle cell trait, his mother said.

Zak then submitted to a grueling schedule of chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

"He never complained. He’d get down sometimes, but not complain," his mother said. "After a treatment, he’d be sick for a week and then he’d go back to school. He was determined to go back and make up the work he had missed."

Zak had set a goal for himself, his mother said.

"He loved school and wanted to remain a part of the student body. He was also determined that he’d walk across the stage at his eighth-grade graduation," Ms. DeGross said. "And he did, and he got a standing ovation."

Inspired by their friend’s valiant struggle against cancer,discount tiffany rings, his classmates designed and wore "Strength and Courage" bracelets to let him know they were standing alongside him and sharing his experience.

The school faculty organized a dodgeball tournament as a fundraiser for Zak.

Last summer, Alan Locey who was Zak’s math teacher, adviser and coach at Boys’ Latin, treated him and his family to a week at Keuka Lake in upstate New York’s Finger Lakes region.

Mr. Locey said Zak learned to water ski, parasail and swim, and took in the natural beauty of the lake.

"He was determined to get up and ski, and when he fell, I had to yell for him to let go of the rope," recalled Mr. Locey.

Zak was a movie buff and collected movies ranging from classic Hollywood films to the latest sci-fi or thriller. He planned to one day work in film production and as an editor.

"He liked all kinds of movies and could analyze them," his mother said.

Last October, through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Zak traveled to Los Angeles, where he visited the set and met the cast and production crew of "Suite Life on Deck," a favorite TV show.

In March, after more than 50 chemotherapy treatments and 10 weeks of radiation, Zak’s family was told that he had not responded as hoped and his condition was terminal.

"Zak came from a wonderfully supportive family, and he had a wonderful compassionate relationship with his mom who was there at his bedside until the end," Mr. Locey said. "He was a fighter in academics and sports. He tried to hold on and fought his cancer to the end."

Zak spent the final weeks of his life in the pediatric oncology center at Hopkins.

One of Zak’s final wishes was to go to the movies and see the debut of the remake of "The Karate Kid," which was being released June 11. But because of his illness, he could not leave the hospital. One of his doctors had a contact at Sony Pictures in Hollywood. Some 18 hours later, a representative from Sony’s East Coast office was aboard a train bound for Baltimore carrying a copy of the film to be shown in Zak’s hospital room.

Family,thanksgiving key rings, friends and schoolmates jammed the hospital room.

"They brought in a large-screen TV. The hospital provided nachos and cheese, soda and popcorn, just like the real movies,thanksgiving bangles," Ms. DeGross said.

The Rev. Stanley Fuller, formerly pastor of Grace Baptist Church, where Zak was a member, was also a friend.

"The thing that stands out about Zak was that he was a respectful kid — he could be mischievous and do all those things kids do — but he was wonderful. He had balance," said Mr. Fuller, who is executive minister at Mount Calvary African Methodist Episcopal Church in Towson.

"He always had deep thoughts that he’d share with me. He loved school,discount tiffany bracelets, and he loved church. He was a sheer pleasure to be around," he said.

"I watched Zakary as he got sick, and he never complained because he didn’t want to worry his mom. He wanted to make sure that she was OK," Mr. Fuller said. "He had the poise and dignity of a person well beyond his years. He had a special grace, and I thank God for that."

Mr. Fuller said he wanted to remember Zak’s smile, his love of education and sports, and his enthusiasm and courage.

"Those moments will never die," he said.

Mr. Post, who spoke at Zak’s funeral Saturday at Action Ministries at Lutheran Church of the Holy Comforter, said Monday that he "will live on in each of us because of the way he lived his life."

Also surviving are his father, Troy Lee Sr.; a brother, Troy Lee Jr.; a sister, Adonekka Lee; his paternal grandmother, Sharon Barnes-Thomas; his maternal grandparents, Steven and Geraldine DeGross Sr.; and aunts, uncles and cousins. All live in Baltimore.

fred.rasmussen@baltsun.com