AileyCamp the Group to Perform at KC Dance Day

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Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey is proud to participate in KC Ballet’s KC Dance Day on August 24th, 2019.  AileyCamp the Group will be performing at this FREE event.  Come out to see the performances and bring the family!

12:05 p.m. – AileyCamp – The Group

12:25 p.m. – Kansas City Youth Ballet

12:45 p.m. – Culture House

1:05 p.m. – UMKC Conservatory Dance Ensemble

The 9th annual KC Dance Day will be held at the Bolender Center from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. with FREE dance classes and FREE performances, including an open rehearsal by Kansas City Ballet company!

Everyone attending KC Dance Day must register. You will receive a wristband upon entry that will allow you access into all the free offerings.

FREE ONLINE REGISTRATION

Parent/guardians must register for children under 18 years of age. Only one registration per participant/family is needed.

IMPORTANT DETAILS

Lunch will be served from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. by Two Guys and a Grill. You may purchase a $7 meal ticket in the lobby for your choice of a hamburger, veggie burger, hotdog, or chicken breast plus chips and bottled water. In addition, the Tropical Sno Shaved Ice Truck will be onsite from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (lunch price does not include a snow cone).

All events take place at the TODD BOLENDER CENTER, 500 W. PERSHING, just west of Union Station. get map

Between 9:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. we will offer a complimentary shuttle trolley from the parking at the Union Station Garage to the Bolender Center. There is a charge for parking at Union Station.

At KC Dance Day, you will receive a wristband that will allow you access into all the free offerings. For classes, just wear exercise clothes/shoes and arrive at the Bolender Center 15 minutes before class time to check-in and get your wristband.

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Camps For Kids Matching Donations for AileyCamp Until July 31!

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All donations designated to AileyCamp through the Camps For Kids website will be matched until July 31.  This means that every $25 gift turns into $50! $500 into $1000! $1500 into $3000! All with one goal: to help send Missouri and Kansas youth to AileyCamp!
Camps For Kids will match your gift dollar-for-dollar up to $1,500 per individual. Not only does your gift double, you can also use your gift to become a KCFAA member – there are several levels to choose from ($35, $120, $240, $420, $900 and Releve` at $1,500)!  Simply go through the steps below and reply here to confirm your gift is also for membership.
AileyCamp is a summer day camp for middle-school-age youth that teaches essential life skills through dance. Each year, more than 200 youth benefit from AileyCamp, which provides uniforms, meals, transportation and field trips for free. Your gift will help provide supplies for our students.
With your help, Camps For Kids will allow KCFAA to raise $39,000 or more for AileyCamp! The campaign ends July 31 and we need your help!
How can you help?
Write a Check:
  1. Decide on a gift amount (up to $1,500 per individual will be matched)
  2. Make your Check payable to: CAMPS FOR KIDS
  3. Note in the MEMO section: AileyCamp 
  4. Mail your check to KCFAA, 1714 E. 18th Street, KCMO 64108
Donate Online:
  1. Visit http://campsforkids.org/camp/aileycamp/
  2. Click on the Donate now button (on the right)
  3. Choose the AileyCamp Designated Donation Option (on the left)
  4. Enter your donation amount
  5. Hit send
** You MUST note on check or designate AileyCamp online for KCFAA to receive the matching donation!

 

How do YOU benefit?
 
Your donation is not only tax deductible, but can also be applied to a KCFAA membership. For a list of member benefits, visit www.kcfaa.org/members
** Note: Your donation tax letter will come from Camps For Kids, not KCFAA. 
Thank you for your continued support and commitment to our mission. If you have any questions about your donation, please feel free to contact us!
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Melanie Miller Named KCFAA Chief Executive Officer

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At its June meeting last week, the Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey (KCFAA) Board of Directors officially named Melanie Miller as its Chief Executive Officer.  Miller, who has been serving as Interim CEO since December 1, will take the helm effective immediately.

“We are thrilled that Melanie has chosen to join our organization and we are fortunate to have such a dedicated and professional individual to lead Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey,” said KCFAA Board of Directors President Debbie Brooks.  “We look forward to continued growth and success.”

Under the leadership of Miller, KCFAA has already experienced numerous successes and growth.  Miller assumed the interim role right as KCFAA entered its 35th year of service to the Greater Kansas City area.  The 35th Anniversary Gala in May was one of the most successful fundraising events for KCFAA and Miller continues to push for growth in funding, membership, programs and volunteers.

“I am honored and excited for this opportunity to continue leading Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey,” Miller said. “I have been a ‘friend’ of KCFAA since it was first established in 1984.  Over the last 35 years, I have volunteered, attended Galas and student performances, and became a member of KCFAA because I valued its mission to be an educator, presenter and unifier.”

With more than 15 years of experience in strategic leadership positions at Hallmark and DEMDACO, Miller has vast tactical knowledge in finance, operations and multi-level team management.  She has been heavily involved in Kansas City’s philanthropic realm – serving as General Co-Chair for the Cotillion Scholarship Program and Co-Chair of the Arts Facet Committee for the Greater Kansas City Links, Inc.  She is also a former Board Member for the Women’s Foundation, the Women’s Employment Network (WEN) and the Kansas City Boys and Girls Choirs.  Miller has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Missouri – Columbia and a Masters of Business Administration degree from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.

As KCFAA continues to celebrate 35 years in Kansas City, Miller understands the importance and impact of the organization’s loyal supporters.

“I am inspired by the amazing staff, board members, funders, students, parents and community supporters who are committed to the continued success of our programs and events,” Miller said.  “I look forward to working more with our community to further advance our mission and keep Mr. Ailey’s vision alive!”

One part of Alvin Ailey’s vision was to make dance accessible to all.  One of the ways KCFAA does this is through AileyCamp – a summer day camp that uses the art of dance to teach young students critical life skills, social skills and healthy lifestyle choices.  Each year, our staff members work with more than 200 middle school-age students (10-15), in Missouri and Kansas, to help them create the personal tools needed to improve self-discipline, critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

“We invite everyone to watch our 2019 AileyCamp students shine at their final performances,” Miller said.

 

2019 AileyCamp Final Performances

7 p.m.

Tuesday, July 2

Eisenhower Middle School

2901 N. 72nd Street, Kansas City, KS 66109

7 p.m.

Wednesday, July 3

Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts

4747 Flora Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64110

 

Kansas City was awarded a competitive national grant from the Gannett Foundation to develop a replicable innovative summer program for middle school students in the KCMO School district. AileyCamp has received many awards and honors, including the prestigious Coming Up Taller Award from the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities and three federal agencies.  In November 2016, Michelle Obama presented AileyCamp Miami with the 2016 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, the highest honor for creative, out-of-school youth development programs.

For more information on AileyCamp and all of KCFAA’s programs, visit www.kcfaa.org 

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