The cool thing is that these to-dos are in service of some really cool events and organizations. Here's what's on my plate this week:
Kenna's Kids
Kenna's Kids is a nonprofit organization that reaches out to individual families with children experiencing life's medical challenges at a young age. Their biggest fundraiser of the year is a huge golf tournament, which is always the last weekend in June.
The basis of this nonprofit organization is built around the pay-it-forward concept. The growth of the organization and support of additional families comes from those who've been helped in the past. We are one of those families. My son Charlie was a beneficiary in 2012, which is why I'm gearing up for the Kenna Cup Golf Tournament in Frisco, TX. I'm volunteering and coordinating past family updates and even trying my hand at creating a video for the players about past families and their children.
Please support this year's families by participating in the Ball Drop. With the help of the Frisco Fire Department, golf balls will be dropped from high above the chipping green. The ball that ends up closest to the hole or first one in the hole wins TWO ROUND TRIP tickets anywhere in the continental United States. Ball drop tickets can be purchased for $10 HERE. The ball drop will take place at the Frisco Lakes short-game/chipping green immediately following the Kenna Cup afternoon tournament on June 27st 2015. Winner will be announced at the Annual Kenna's Cup Dinner & Awards later that evening at Frisco Lakes Club House in the Frisco Lakes Community. You do NOT have to be present to win.
School Garden
Im also finalizing a proposal for a school garden in our neighborhood school where my children attend classes. Our neighborhood school is a Title 1 institution, which means that we have a large majority of students live at or below the poverty level. These beautiful, curious kids have no connection to nature or their food sources, so a designate outdoor learning environment seems like a no brainer. All of my paperwork is due by the end of the month, so I'm cranking it out! This is a preliminary sketch I made of the proposed garden.
Statera Conference
I'm an artist and actor, but I'm also a writer for Houzz.com and Creative Director for a non-profit organization called Statera Foundation. Statera is dedicated to gender parity in the theatre and this summer, we're hosting our inaugural conference. It's going to be so fantastic! But there's a lot to do. And as it always goes, when you have a small but committed team of go-getters, the ideas get big, the time frame gets fast and the work-load gets serious. If you're interested in attending the conference (July 31-August 2 in Cedar City, Utah) than register HERE. If you believe in gender equity in the arts, I encourage you to get involved!
P.S.
I'm kind of peeing my pants because I was featured in American Theatre a few weeks ago! This photo is from the world premier of "Sense & Sensibility" last summer at the Utah Shakespeare Festival. When you're a baby in college, training to do something, you dream about things like being in American Theatre Magazine. So when it actually happens... well, you want to tell the world!
2 comments:
I feel like I need to take a nap after reading this. My good grief! That is a lot of work for one person to accomplish, and I know what your every day work load is. You are helping to change lives with the first three, and reaping your rewards with the last. Congrats! I'm very proud of you.
Sarah, I hope your kids school garden idea was accepted. The elementary that my kids went to had a garden, until last year. It was moved for building additions and will not get put back until that is complete.
The principal, who has since moved to the middle school, worked very hard to get community involvement. She enlisted the help of the kids, parents, and local nonprofits. Usually, they had staff and interns from the nonprofits that would prepare and care for the garden, and some did supplementary teaching. During the school year they referred to it as a classroom. In the summer, when school was out the kids went 1-2x's a week to help weed, harvest, and learn to cook/prepare something from the garden with an organized club. It was a good experience. During the school year they did after school cooking classes.
Our school is Title 1 with the highest rate of free/reduced lunch and homeless families in our community. The did start another program for qualifying kids to learn how to pack meals for the weekends, so they would have food when they were at home.
My daughter's year wrote letters about their garden to the White House for a program started by Michelle Obama in 2011/12, and they got to send a group of kids to Washington DC. They student representatives toured the the White House Gardens and ate lunch with the Chef/Gardener and Michelle Obama. My daughter wishes she got to go.
They garden inspired my kids interest in cooking, and they enjoyed it. I hope your garden becomes a reality because it is very enriching for the school and the students.
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