“Alle-Kiski Valley kids buy coats with Steelers' help - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review” plus 1 more |
| Alle-Kiski Valley kids buy coats with Steelers' help - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Posted: 27 Oct 2010 08:31 AM PDT ROSS — The children's coat department in the Ross Park Mall Macy's was hot, crowded and noisy Tuesday evening, but there were no complaints from almost 50 Alle-Kiski Valley kids choosing their winter gear. Having the Pittsburgh Steelers serve as their personal shoppers likely had a lot to do with their good cheer. About half the team, including quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, teamed up with the New Kensington Salvation Army and Project Bundle-Up to provide coats, hats, gloves and shoes to needy children from Arnold, Lower Burrell and New Kensington. "This is the best day of my life!" Javon Wade, 9, of Arnold, said as he waited for defensive end Brett Keisel to sign one of the promotional Steelers programs distributed to all the kids. Wide receiver Hines Ward escorted Wade — clad in a No. 86 jersey — to the coat department. Ward started to question Wade's favorite color, but the boy headed straight for the black-and-gold gear. Most of the children soon followed: "I guess we've got to wait in line," said offensive tackle Chris Scott. After Wade selected a coat, Ward encouraged him to model his selection for the volunteers and media. "Pose — give me a pose," Ward said. "Like you're on the catwalk. That's my man! "I want to put them in style because I'm a stylish guy," Ward joked. Wade enthusiastically described the experience: "Spectacular." Ward was among the first of the Steelers to arrive and, as one of the most easily recognized players, received a hearty cheer. Many of the children had difficulty identifying the players, who weren't wearing football jerseys. When three young boys didn't know the name of safety Ryan Clark, he joked that he was the team's water boy. "Let me size you up," he said, lifting 10-year-old Logan Pierce from Lower Burrell into the air. "Running backs are a lot heavier than you are." Clark urged the boys to make sure their coats were roomy: "That's what I learned when I was a kid — buy big, and you can wear it again next year." Salvation Army Capt. Elvie Carter said he learned a few weeks ago the New Kensington branch was selected for the annual Steelers shopping spree. He said the first 45 children ages 6 through 12 whose parents had signed up for Project Bundle-Up participated in the Steelers event. "We're glad the Pittsburgh Steelers stepped up to help the kids, especially those outside the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County," Carter said. "I'm glad New Kensington, Lower Burrell and Arnold were remembered." Carter said Tuesday's program will help make a dent in the services the New Kensington branch provides each winter, when hundreds of children need winter gear and other amenities. "We are already short for Project Bundle-Up," Carter said. "The demand is always greater than the funds available." Heather Hannan, a spokeswoman for Macy's, said the company has been participating in Project Bundle-Up since 2001. "It's an event this store embraces," Hannan said. Each child received a $75 gift card to buy a hat, coat and gloves. Hannan said players have paid for additional items, too. Carter said the children would choose shoes from the nearby J.C. Penney store. Elizabeth Holmes, 12, of New Kensington picked out several pairs of gloves in addition to her pink coat and hat: "I lose a lot of gloves." Holmes frantically went from player to player, ensuring they signed her program. She said she watches the team play every Sunday. She couldn't pick just one player she was most excited to see in person: "Everybody, actually. I'm so happy to meet them all." This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php | ||||
| Kids develop artistic options in Dayspring's afterschool program - St. Petersburg Times Posted: 26 Oct 2010 01:47 PM PDT By Michele Miller, Times Staff Writer
PORT RICHEY School's out for the day. Now what? Play some video games? While away some hours watching mindless afternoon cartoons before getting that homework out of the way? How about doing something artful like taking instruction in piano or perhaps, the guitar? Maybe slip on a pair of dance shoes and tap your heart out for a while? At Dayspring Academy, youngsters are enjoying those kinds of afterschool options right on campus. About 45 students have signed on for classes in dance, guitar, piano, voice, drums and tumbling in the school's Alpha Rho Theta Community Arts Program. James Donlon, 13, is learning how to play acoustic and now the electric guitar. Kayleigh Weber and Ali Poole, both 6, have been working on ballet positions one through four and some rather loud tap dance shuffles in the elementary dance class. Amanda Franco, 13, has been dancing forever and helps out with the Princess Dance Class for wee ones. Kelli Carmack finds her world expanding as she takes ballet lessons for the first time and shares dreams of a future in professional theater — maybe in New York City. "Dance is so much fun," said Kelli, 13, noting that she's delighted about being able to master some difficult leaps during the afternoon ballet class. "It's opening up for me. I'm kind of ballooning in my confidence." The program, now in its second year, is open to kids in the surrounding community as well as Dayspring students at a cost of $45 a month for each class. "There's been more enrollment this year but we're still working on growing, said Kelly Covic, humanities and theater director at Dayspring. "We'd like to get the word out about that." Alpha Rho Theta is a real enhancement for the community as well as a school that already is big on the arts, said Jenna Simon, who teaches dance, musical theater and computer classes at the middle school campus. "Our school is very unique," she said. "Part of our charter is to include the arts." Over the years, Dayspring has put on many student productions: Peter Pan, Mulan, Aladdin, Sound of Music and Annie just to list a few. The elementary school incorporates drama and dance with music classes. And because the middle school offers an extended day with eight class periods, students there already have the opportunity to dabble in dance, piano/keyboarding, computer animation, art or musical theater as a chosen elective during the school day. "We wanted to build on the arts programs we already have here but we noticed the kids needed more one-on-one instruction and we wanted to offer something to the community," Simon said. "Alpha Rho does that. It's a safe place to go. We offer classes at a reasonable price. We put on a small show at the end of the year. But there are no expensive costumes to buy." It's also convenient for students enrolled at Dayspring. Middle school students just stay on campus when the last bell rings, while younger students are bused over from the elementary campus. At 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, dance class starts for the elementary students under Simon's instruction. They don leotards and tights and get some help tying a bow in those ballet shoes before finding a spot to stretch. "Get in line — don't squish each other," Simon tells the 10 ballerinas as she readies for some barre exercises. "What do you do with your arms?" she asks. "They go up in the air," someone calls out. "What about your toes?" "Point them," all say in unison. [Last modified: Oct 27, 2010 01:11 AM]
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