Written by Nicole Mueller, Director of Companies & Community Relations
9.30.20
Local families help give the gift of dance and music.
Friendswood, Tx/ August 11 – Friendswood families elect to donate their dance studio refunds entitled to due to Covid-19 event cancelations to help others afford dance and music lessons during lean times.
Friendswood is known for being a generous community and working together to help support others during difficult times. Families at Chara Christian Dance Academy have risen up once again to support families just like them. During the state’s “Stay Home Stay Safe” order the large dance and music school chose to to cancel their large end of year performances and instead to provide a solo recital experience for dancers in order to follow new safety guidelines.
Studio owner, Shanna Kirkpatrick, offered a 100% refund to families on services that were unable to be delivered, including end of year performance fees. In lieu of a refund however, families were also given the option to donate their refund to Part Of The Art Foundation instead.
“Our clients are extremely generous. We saw the way they rose up to support one another during Hurricane Harvey. We knew that giving them the opportunity to turn their disappointment of not having a formal recital into something meaningful to others would be a cause they would rise up to support.”
Over one fourth of the studio’s clients donated their refunds totaling over $2,500 Chara Christian Dance Academy was able to give to Part of The Art Foundation. This organization assists children of public servants, clergy, foster families and single parents in the Houston area, who exhibit both talent and financial need, the ability to participate in the performing arts. This year the majority of the scholarships being provided by Part of the Art Foundation are going to families who have been laid off due to COVID-19.
“Part of the Art Foundation has seen a dramatic increase in applicants this year due to the current economic situation,” says Kirkpatrick. “Chara stands ready to help fill the funding gap this scholarship organization is experiencing by helping ensure that every child has access to the arts. Children have much of their sense of normalcy over the past months and we do not want their dance, music, or acting lessons to be another “Covid casualty” in their lives. We are grateful that so many of our families have stepped up to help. Parents helping parents; they are the heroes of this story.”
Chara follows the More Than Just Great Dancing! Safer Studio Guidelines as well as those from the Galveston County Health District. Chara launched their 15th Season on August 3, 2020 and is now enrolling new students.
