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Join BAPA (Beverly Area Planning Association) with the Ridge Historical Society on Sunday, September 30, 2012 for a great family event! The History Mystery Bike Tour will keep you pedaling and looking for unique clues in the beautiful historic Beverly community. Come outdoors and explore! This family-friendly event showcases the Beverly Hills/Morgan Park neighborhood and its historic districts while having fun!
“This is a great family community and we hope people come from all around Chicagoland to enjoy this event and experience our Village in the City,” said Matt Walsh, BAPA Executive Director.
Partnering with Ridge Historical Society, the event will be centered in the Ridge Historic District and offer different levels of challenge for families and individuals who want to test their sleuthing abilities and get a glimpse at some of the fun facts of local history.
This year’s all new Mini-Mystery is designed for children through age 6, and offers kid-friendly puzzles, challenges and clues along a kid-sized bike route that can be done on big wheels, tricycles, bikes with training wheels and even strollers. The cost of the Mini-Mystery is included in the History Mystery Bike Tour family admission.
“With cycling so popular and the history and architecture of the community so interesting, BAPA’s History Mystery Tour has been growing each year since its revival,” Walsh said. “Families new to the event will be eager to join the crowd, pedaling throughout the neighborhood, learning about the community around every twist and turn, and spending the afternoon with their kids, experiencing how much fun history can be.”
When participants return to the Ridge Historical Society to turn in their completed History Mystery Tour answers, they can enjoy a family festival on the RHS (Ridge Historic Society) grounds. Festival highlights include children’s activities, entertainment, food and beverages.
Neighbors who would like to volunteer to help out with the History Mystery Bike Tour are invited to email bapa@bapa.org for more information.
Entry fees are $15 per person, $10 for students and seniors, and $40 for families (two adults with children under age 16). Current BAPA members can receive a discount event admission; call 773-233-3100 for information.
Event sponsors include AT&T, Beverly Bank & Trust, Marquette Bank, Standard Bank & Trust, Beverly Bike & Ski, and The Beverly Review. For information on how to become a sponsor, contact Kathleen Riordan, 773-233-3100 or kriordan@bapa.org.
For information and applications stop by the BAPA office, 11107 S. Longwood Dr., Chicago, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mon. through Friday, call 773-233-3100 or register online at www.bapa.org.
The not-for-profit Beverly Area Planning Association (BAPA) was founded in 1947 to serve the Beverly Hills/Morgan Park community with a variety of civic and service programs. For information on BAPA, membership and the community, visit www.bapa.org.
Image by Sattva
The Chicago Human Rhythm Project (CHRP) announces the establishment of the American Rhythm Center (ARC), a new initiative to provide a shared, affordable and sustainable education, rehearsal and administrative facility for several leading Chicago arts organizations. This new institution will be located in renovated spaces at Chicago’s historic Fine Arts Building, 410 S. Michigan Avenue.
CHRP will develop ARC, a collaborative effort to foster community growth through rhythmic expression, in several phases. The aim is to offer diverse, high-quality dance and movement classes to the general public while centralizing the education programs, rehearsal space and administrative offices of several core groups, as well as additional emerging companies and independent artists.
The idea for ARC grew from a CHRP strategic planning process followed by intensive, collaborative planning with participating community partners, including:
CHRP’s ARC will provide a long-term platform for stability and growth in several key areas by:addressing the near-universal need among small and mid-sized dance and other arts organizations for professional administrative, rehearsal and education spaces as well as a desire to unify as many organizational functions as possible in a single location
“We are proposing to alter the traditional business model by offering arts groups the opportunity to shift their reliance on contributed income and dwindling revenue from ticket sales to self-sustaining revenue via educational programming,” commented CHRP Founder and Director Lane Alexander, who had the original vision for ARC. “The value proposition for most people has changed, and making art has become more nourishing than watching others make art. CHRP’s ARC will serve a two-fold purpose: to offer world-class dance instruction for the public and provide a stable platform for small and medium-sized nonprofit companies in Chicago’s emerging dance corridor.”
According to new CHRP Executive Director Frank Sonntag, who recently led the opening of the Cowles Center for Dance and the Performing Arts in Minneapolis, “Lane’s vision is all about creating a collaborative environment with shared resources, which will provide the partnering organizations with a creative hub and educational platform greater than the sum of its parts. I think such efforts will become more commonplace and integral to capacity-building efforts throughout the arts and culture field in the future.”
Funding
CHRP’s ARC has raised more than $1 million to date as part of a multi-phased $2.5 million capital start-up campaign. Jenner & Block LLP has provided pro bono legal support. Major funding for capital and start-up operations has been provided by Elaine Cohen and Arlen Rubin, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The Joyce Foundation and The Boeing Company, with additional support from Pamela Crutchfield, The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for the Arts and Culture at Prince, Arts Work Fund for Organizational Development, the James. S. Kemper Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council, matching funds from the Polk Bros. Foundation through IFF, Jenner & Block LLP and many generous individuals.
CHRP Board President and ARC lead donor Elaine Cohen said, “It is very exciting for us to think of how much vitality ARC will add to Chicago-providing myriad opportunities not only to CHRP but to a host of ARC resident companies as well as tourists and the public looking to participate in an amazing variety of dance class offerings taught by professionals.”
About Chicago Human Rhythm Project
Founded in 1990, Chicago Human Rhythm Project (CHRP) builds community by presenting American tap dance and contemporary percussive arts in world-class and innovative performance, education and community outreach programs. During the last 22 years, CHRP has produced multiple community-based collaborations involving shared revenue programs, concerts and touring opportunities, including:
CHRP’s vision is to establish the first global center for American tap and percussive arts, which will create a complete ecosystem of education, performance, creation and community in a state-of-the-art facility uniting generations of diverse artists and the general public.
Photo by Pat138241
I Am Who I Am, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to serving the families of children with Down syndrome through celebration and awareness, will host Putting for a Purpose, an all-family miniature golf outing, Sat., July 28, 4 to 7 p.m. at Stony Creek Golf Course, Oak Lawn. Rain or shine Admission: $30/adults; $15/children includes golf, refreshments, entertainment, children’s activities and prizes!
A Beverly/Morgan Park-based organization, I Am Who I Am was recently founded as a 501 (c) 3 not for profit, and provides education and awareness about Down syndrome, and celebrates everyone’s individuality through a traveling photo exhibit, speaking engagements, outreach to families and the gift of an I Am Who I Am blanket to special needs babies born at Christ Hospital, Oak Lawn, and Little Company of Mary Hospital, Evergreen Park.
For additional information, please visit the website I Am Who I Am or call 773-547-3300 for ticket purchases.
The Chicago Dancing Festival (CDF) invites the Chicago public to learn more about an unusual and exciting project where they would share the stage with top performers from Chicago and across the country. CDF will host a series of community meetings to inform and introduce interested participants to Bolero Chicago, the Festival’s first ever community-based work that will premiere on stage in two performances as part of the free, week-long Chicago Dancing Festival 2012, set to take place August 20–25!
Conceived and choreographed by Larry Keigwin, Artistic Director of New York-based troupe Keigwin + Company, Bolero Chicago combines three trained dancers with up to 100 non-dancer members of the community. Set to Maurice Ravel’s iconic score, Bolero, Keigwin’s fun and vibrant project examines and de-constructs local movement traits for a work that uniquely speaks to Chicago’s diverse cultural identity. Created over a two-week residency, Bolero Chicago will serve as a way to deepen audiences’ experience with dance, allowing participants to explore their own creativity and physicality and transform themselves into performers.
Anyone interested in learning more about the opportunity to participate in Bolero Chicago is encouraged to attend one of the following community meetings:
Advanced RSVP is encouraged via e-mail to info@chicagodancingfestival.
Each community meeting, led by Keigwin + Company member Ashley Browne, will address what participants can expect in the Bolero Chicago rehearsal and performance process and what would be expected of them if they choose to commit to the project. At the end of each meeting there will be a sign-up opportunity to join the Bolero Chicago cast. There will not be a formal audition process. Rehearsals for Bolero Chicago will take place Monday through Friday evenings, August 6-11 and 13-18. Participants will also need to attend dress rehearsals August 19 and 24. Additional information about time commitments will be provided at each community meeting. People of all ages, backgrounds and ability levels are encouraged to participate and no prior dance experience is necessary.
The on-stage performances of Bolero Chicago occur at Chicago Dancing Festival’s opening program, “Chicago Dancing” at the Harris Theater, Monday, August 20 and again as part of the Festival’s grand finale program, “Celebration of Dance” at the Pritzker Pavilion on Saturday, August 25.
For additional information, please visit the Chicago Dance Festival at their website at www.chicagodancefestival.com.
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Get ready Chicago! The Chicago Park District will officially open its outdoor pools on Friday, June 15, 2012! Round up the kids, grab the beach towels and head to your local park district to splash and cool off! For further information regarding scheduled times and to locate the nearest pool in your community, please click on the link below. Enjoy!
Chicago Park District Outdoor Pools
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Grants are available for athletic children with disabilities ages 8 – 21 years of age through Variety the Children’s Charity of Illinois! The Live to Achieve program helps families to defray transportation, training and other costs, so that young athletes with disabilities can participate in sports activities and achieve excellence! Grants are available up to $1000.
The mission of Variety Children’s Charities is to provide funding and services for programs that strive to alleviate suffering and improve the quality of life for children who are mentally and physically challenged, abused, sick, homeless or underprivileged. This organization has 14 Chapters throughout the world: United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Barbados, Canada, France, Hong Kong, Japan, Ireland, Israel, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand and South Africa.
For additional information, or to obtain an application, please visit their website at Variety the Children’s Charity of Illinois or call 312-822-0660.
Chicago White Sox Logo
The Chicago White Sox offers KIDS DAYS to children ages 13 and under (one dollar) $1 admission with one full-paying adult ticket at the ticket windows on the day of the game. Gates are opened 2 hours earlier for a Kids only pregame autograph session! Post games, kids are invited to run on the bases, weather permitting.
The next scheduled Kids Days are:
Saturday, June 23, 2012 Sox vs. Milwaukee – White Sox Magnetic Photo Frame & Fireworks presented by U.S. Cellular (First 20,000 Fans)
Sunday, June 24, 2012 Sox vs. Milwaukee – Kids XL 1972 Replica Jersey & 70′s Day presented by Pepsi (First 10,000 children age 13 and under)
For tickets, visit www.whitesox.com. Enjoy!
Photo by Chicago Park District
Alderman Anthony A. Beale of the 9th Ward announces financial assistance is available for parents who need help to send their children to summer camps at the Chicago Park District! Summer is around the corner, and the best way to keep the children of our communities safe, is to keep them occupied. The Chicago Park District has many free-to-low cost programs for youth and teens alike this summer. Thanks to Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Summer Safety Surplus grant, we are able to offer financial assistance to thousands of children for day camp.
Applicants must provide proof of participation in the Illinois Free and Reduced Lunch Program. Applicants who do not participate in the school lunch program can prove eligibility by providing income verification (i.e., 2012 recent pay stubs for last 30 days, AFDC/TANF case #, a copy of a recent IRS 1040 form). All information submitted is confidential.
*To apply for financial assistance, bring copies of the required documents to the desired park through June 11 during normal park hours.
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This is a family event that you do not want to miss with the awesome poetic storyteller, Oba William King on Sunday, May 20, 2012! The event will take place at Elm Park, 5215 S. Woodlawn Avenue, which is directly behind the Kimbark Plaza shopping center at 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. Fun for all ages and Open Microphone until 2:30 p.m. Enjoy!