GEORGE H.W. BUSH. FIRST, MORE ON THE RENAISSANCE
WOMAN, BOTH IN THE FASHION AND
THE POLITICAL WORLD.
>> Reporter: LAUREN BUSH LAUREN,
DESIGNER, PHILANTHROPIST, AND
MOM.
MOM. A MEMBER OF NOT ONE BUT TWO
ICONIC FAMILIES.
ICONIC FAMILIES. THE GRANDDAUGHTER OF FORMER
PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W. BUSH AND
DAUGHTER-IN-LAW OF RALPH LAUREN.
DETERMINED TO TACKLE THE WORLD’S
HUNGER CRISIS, SHE STARTED THE
HANDBAG COLLECTION FEED IN 2007.
PROCEEDS FROM THE SALE OF THE
BAGS GO TOWARDS FEEDING THE
HUNGRY IN NATIONS AROUND THE
GLOBE.
GLOBE. THE COMPANY PROVIDING OVER 100
MILLION MEALS IS SO FAR.
>> THE ISSUE OF HUNGER REALLY IS
MASSIVE AND OVERWHELMING AND
VERY ABSTRACT.
VERY ABSTRACT. WHY NOT COMBINE THIS LOVE FOR
DESIGN AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP WITH
A REALLY TANGIBLE, MEANINGFUL
WAY TO GIVE BACK?
>> Reporter: WHEN SHE ISN’T
GIVING BACK, LAUREN IS CARING
FOR HER GROWING FAMILY.
MARRIED TO DAVID LAUREN, AN
EXECUTIVE IN HIS DAD, RALPH
LAUREN’S, FASHION EMPIRE, THE
COUPLE HAS TWO SONS, JAMES AND
MAX.
MAX. LAST DECEMBER, LAUREN DELIVERED
THE FIRST READING AT HER
GRANDFATHER’S MOVING FUNERAL.
>> NATIONS SHALL COME TO YOUR
LIGHT, AND KINGS TO THE
BRIGHTNESS OF YOUR DAWN.
>> Reporter: NOW, SHE’S
LAUNCHING A NEW GEORGE H.W. BUSH
POINTS OF LIGHT AWARD, HONORING
HER LATE GRANDFATHER’S MEMORY BY
CELEBRATING INDIVIDUALS CHANGING
THE WORLD.
THE WORLD. LAUREN BUSH LAUREN IS HERE.
GOOD MORNING.
GOOD MORNING. IT IS SO GOOD TO SEWE YOU.
>> MORNING.
>> MORNING. >> WE’RE HAVING BUSH WITHDRAW.
JENNA IS ON MATERNITY LEAVE.
>> GLAD I COULD BE A STAND-IN.
>> TELL ME ABOUT THIS AWARD, THE
POINTS OF LIGHT AWARD.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. SO WE’RE STARTING THE FIRST EVER
GEORGE H.W. BUSH POINTS OF LIGHT
AWARD.
AWARD. MY GRANDFATHER, OVER 30 YEARS
AGO, STARTED POINTS OF LIGHT,
AND BASICALLY EVERY DAY, DID A
DAILY POINT OF LIGHT THAT ALMOST
UNTIL HIS PASSING HE’D
PERSONALLY SIGN.
PERSONALLY SIGN. IT IS SOMETHING HE TRULY CARED
ABOUT.
ABOUT. >> VOLUNTEERISM, GIVING BACK.
>> SHINING A LIGHT ON THOSE WHO
ARE LIGHTS THEMSELVES AND GIVING
BACK TO THEIR COMMUNITY.
WE THOUGHT IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY
TO SHINE AN EXTRA LIGHT ON A FEW
INDIVIDUALS MAKING THE WORLD A
BITTER PLACE
BITTER PLACE BETTER PLACE.
BETTER PLACE. >> YOU’LL DO TWO WELL-KNOWN
PEOPLE AND PEOPLE FROM EVERYDAY
WALKS OF LIFE.
>> WE REALLY WANT PEOPLE OF
VARIED AGES, VARIED WORK
GLOBALLY, AND ALSO HERE IN THE
U.S.
U.S. YEAH, IT IS GOING TO BE REALLY
SPECIAL.
SPECIAL. >> YOU KNOW, I WAS JUST LOOKING
AT THIS, THE FOOTAGE.
OF COURSE, YOU DID THE READING
AT YOUR GAMPY’S FUNERAL.
PEOPLE TALKED ABOUT HIM AND HIS
LIFE.
LIFE. ONE OF THE THINGS WAS HIS
HUMILITY AND SERVICE.
WHAT ARE YOUR MEMORIES?
>> I MEAN, SO MANY.
I THINK WHAT WAS SUCH A STANDOUT
DURING HIS PASSING, BUT ALWAYS
IN BEING AROUND HIM, WAS JUST
HOW KIND AND HOW EMPATHETIC AND
HOW HE REALLY MADE A POINT OF
GOING OUT OF HIS WAY TO BE KIND
AND MAKE THOSE GESTURES.
TO WRITE THAT LETTER THAT WAS
MEANINGFUL TO SOMEONE.
TO SAY HELLO TO A WAITER.
TO ASK THEM ABOUT THEIR FAMILY.
>> I READ THAT HE HAD A KIND
OF -- NOT A SECRET, BUT NOT MANY
PEOPLE KNEW HE HAD A PEN PAL
RELATIONSHIP WITH A LITTLE BOY
IN THE PHILIPPINES.
>> THAT WAS A TOTAL SHOCKER.
IT IS EXACTLY THAT.
IT WAS SO ILLUSTRATIVE OF THOSE
KIND, AMAZING GESTURES HE DID.
EVEN JUST QUIETLY.
I MEAN, YOU PROBABLY REMEMBER
WHEN HE SHAVED HIS HEAD IN
SOLIDARITY WITH THE BOY WHO HAD
CANCER.
CANCER. >> OH, YEAH.
A BOY HE DIDN’T KNOW UNTIL THAT
MOMENT.
MOMENT. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. VERY, VERY, VERY SPECIAL PERSON
AND HUMAN.
AND HUMAN. WE MISS HIM A LOT.
BUT I THINK ARE TRYING NOW, AS
BEST WE CAN, TO SORT OF CARRY ON
IN HIS EXAMPLE.
THIS AWARD IS DEFINITELY A WAY
TO DO THAT.
>> WELL, I HAVE A BIG EXCLUSIVE
THIS MORNING.
THIS MORNING. I KNOW ONE OF THE RECIPIENTS WE
CAN ANNOUNCE.
CAN ANNOUNCE. >> YES.
>> YES. >> IS --
>> IS -- >> GARTH BROOKS.
>> GARTH BROOKS.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE GARTH?
>> WE CHOSE GARTH BECAUSE HE IS
BEYOND BEING EXTREMELY TALENTED
SINGER/SONGWRITER, A MAJOR
PHILANTHROPIST.
PHILANTHROPIST. TEAMMATES FOR KIDS, HIS
FOUNDATION, RAISED OVER $100
MILLION FOR KIDS CAUSES.
HE AND HIS WIFE, TRISHA YEAR
WOOD
WOOD YEARWOOD, GO OUT OFTEN AND
PARTICIPATE IN HABITAT FOR
HUMANITY.
HUMANITY. >> BUILDING HOUSES.
>> HANDS-ON VOLUNTEERS AND DOING
A LOT OF GOOD.
DOING IT IN A WAY, TOO, THAT IS
HUMBLE.
HUMBLE. I THINK, IN A WAY MY GRANDFATHER
WOULD HAVE APPRECIATED.
>> TO GIVE QUIETLY, NOT
NECESSARILY WHEN EVERYONE IS
WATCHING.
WATCHING. GARTH GAVE US A STATEMENT.
HE SAID, THE FACT THIS AWARD IS
A REFLECTION OF 41, HIS BELOVED
BARBARA, AND THE WORK THEY
BELIEVED IN IS THE GREATEST
HONOR.
HONOR. AN AWARD IS ONLY AS GOOD AS ITS
RECIPIENT.
RECIPIENT. MY HOPE AND GOAL IS TO MAKE THE
BUSH FAMILY AND HONORARY CHAIRS
PROUD.
PROUD. GARTH BROOKS IS THE FIRST NAME
ON THIS AWARD.
IT IS COOL HE MENTIONED YOUR
GRANDMOTHER, TOO.
GRANDMOTHER, TOO. THEY WERE A PACKAGE DEAL.
>> THEY WERE A PACKAGE DEAL.
THOUGH MY GRANDFATHER’S NAME IS
THE ONE ON THE AWARD ITSELF, IN
MY MIND, THEY’RE JUST FOREVER
INTERLINKED.
INTERLINKED. SHE HERSELF, YOU KNOW, SHE
CARRIES ON IN TERMS OF HER
PHILANTHROPY WITH LITERACY AND
FAMILY LITERACY.
FAMILY LITERACY. SHE WAS A VERY BRIGHT POINT OF
LIGHT.
LIGHT. OBVIOUSLY, A SUPPORT TO MY
GRANDFATHER.
GRANDFATHER. >> LAUREN, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, SAVANNAH.
>> GOOD TO SEE A BUSH FAMILY
MEMBER.
MEMBER. ALL FORMER LIVING PRESIDENTS ARE