Inside Jimmy Carter's 100th birthday bash: From building humanity homes to hosting star-studded concert
WASHINGTON, DC: Jimmy Carter is celebrating his 100th birthday with a series of events reflecting his lifelong commitment to public service.
From building homes for those in need to hosting a star-studded concert, Carter's centennial festivities honor the legacy of a man who has shaped lives far beyond his tenure in the White House.
Jimmy Carter's habitat for humanity project
One of Jimmy Carter’s most personal and impactful projects has been his collaboration with Habitat for Humanity.
In 1982, the former president and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, founded The Carter Center with the mission to "wage peace, fight disease, and build hope."
To celebrate his milestone birthday, thousands of volunteers gathered in St Paul, Minnesota, to build 30 new homes as part of the organization’s long-running partnership with Carter.
Starting in 1984, when Carter joined a project to renovate a New York City tenement, his work with Habitat for Humanity became a hallmark of his humanitarian endeavors.
Carter, who served as the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981, often spoke about how this work reflected his Christian faith.
As Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International, told the Associated Press, “The image of a president of the United States sleeping in a church basement and physically helping rehab a tenement building captured the world.”
The build-in St Paul, which will see 30 homes constructed over five days, attracted big names such as country music stars Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, both longtime Habitat volunteers.
Cleora Taylor, a medical assistant from Indiana received her Habitat home in 2018, with Carter personally assisting in the build.
Speaking from her home, Taylor recalled, "He’s just such a good, welcoming, humble guy. I’m just glad to be a part of a legacy that he’s leaving behind,” according to Newsweek.
Star-studded concert at Jimmy Carter's birthday celebration
In addition to the Habitat build, Jimmy Carter’s birthday celebration included a star-studded concert that took place earlier this month at Atlanta’s historic Fox Theatre.
The benefit concert, which will air on Georgia Public Broadcasting on October 1, Carter’s actual birthday, brought together an array of entertainers and performers to raise funds for The Carter Center.
The lineup featured performances by The B-52s, Carlene Carter, and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chamber Chorus.
Actress Renee Zellweger was among the special guests while Jason Carter, chair of The Carter Center’s board of trustees, expressed his pride in the event.
“It was an incredible evening, full of good music and heartfelt tributes," he said, adding, "It made history as the first-ever 100th birthday celebration for a living American president."
The former president has previously shared with his family his determination to vote in the upcoming presidential election in November and has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris in the race.
