Fundraising and Community Service
See how you can support Danceforce and see how Danceforce is helping others.
INFORMATION ON ALL OF THE UPCOMING EVENTS:
Call (630) 783-6641
Email choudek@bolingbrookparks.org, kamante@bolingbrookparks.org, or apuzon@bolingbrookparks.org
What is Danceforce doing for the community?
Danceforce participants take great pride in their volunteerism. Here is just some of the work that Danceforce will be doing in the community:
Donation Drives
Danceforce hosts a number of donation drives for various needs in the community and abroad.
If you are interested in helping them, email choudek@bolingbrookparks.org for information on the next drive.
Here are some highlights of what we've done...
Volunteer and charity work has always been an important part of the Danceforce program. The dancers visit nursing homes, senior centers, children’s hospitals and homeless shelters as a regular part of their season. Additionally, at the start of each season, the company forms “character crews” based upon their age and school, and study the six pillars of character from Character Counts! as a summer intensive each year, participating in activities, exercises, and outreach work that strengthens and reinforces character and values. In doing so, they learn about people, life and their responsibility to do everything they can in this lifetime to make this world a better place. This has made an incredible impact on their performances and the responsibility they feel toward their community and their world.
History of Accomplishments in Charity Work and Volunteerism
- $6000 contribution from their 2005 concert proceeds to Free the Children’s efforts to rebuild the schools and villages destroyed by the Tsunami in Sri Lanka.
- $1000 contribution from their 2006 concert proceeds to Mississippi Park & Recreation Associations to support their efforts to rebuild the parks and recreation centers destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. The dancers continued to send their love by shipping 135 Christmas gifts to the children in Mississippi and Louisiana.
- Project Thanksgiving has provided over 250 less fortunate Bolingbrook families with a complete Thanksgiving dinner since 2003.
- Adopt a Soldier – For the past two years, Danceforce has sent their love and encouragement to our soldiers overseas with gifts, toiletries, letters, candy and their most impressive gift of all, 473 cooling scarves, made by the dancers and parents and sent to our soldiers in Iraq to comfort them in the searing temperatures of summer 2006.
- Collected and/or assembled fifty Easter baskets for children in need Easter, 2008.
- Power Dance Project – this outreach program reaches nearly every school in the Bolingbrook community and continues to grow, but would not be possible without the volunteerism of dozens of dancers who assist in teaching these children dance and character education. Many dancers who started in Power Dance are now teachers.
- Dancers performed for and spent time with the residents of Meadowbrook Manor in Naperville. This outreach and fellowship has provided the dancers and residents with incredible opportunities to build friendships and make a lasting impression on each other. The dancers continue to do performances and outreach work of this nature and welcome invitations.
- Soldier Pals: Beginning in September 2008, Danceforce has set up communication with specific soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are maintaining on-going communication, sending care packages their way and hopefully giving them the encouragement and love they need.