Charlotte Parker, publicist to the stars in the world of bodybuilding and fitness for many years, called me Thursday to ask if I would emcee the Memorial for Joe Weider, set for Sunday, April 14, in Santa Monica, CA. She didn’t have to finish the query before I gladly accepted this honor. I handled similiar duties for memorials for Joe Gold in 2004 and Robert Kennedy last June, but this comes with a different twist–the invitation-only gathering will be able to be viewed by fans all over the globe, thanks to Bodybuilding.com, as they will provide a live webcast, beginning at 1 p.m. (PST).
"Bodybuilding fans from around the world will be able to share in this amazing memorial," says John Hardesty, Vice-President for Digital Publishing at Bodybuilding.com. "We are honored to have been chosen as the exclusive outlet for this historic broadcast and will present it exactly as it happens. Joe Weider’s contributions for fitness and bodybuilding cannot be overstated. Without Joe, none of us would be here."
Of course, the major address at the gathering will be given by Arnold Schwarzenegger, who referred to Joe as his "dear friend and mentor…a titan in the fitness industry and one of the kindest men I ever met." It was Joe, as most know, who initially brought Arnold to the United States from Austria. As Joe said at the time, "Every sport needs a hero, and Arnold was the right man."
And Joe was the right man to to help make that become a reality.
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