The following is a press release.
Friends of West Hollywood Elementary’s Arts Committee proudly present:
The Third Annual BENEFIT WITH FRIENDS, Wednesday September 19, 7:30pm at the Key Club.
"Benefit With Friends" began as a dream: A dream that West Hollywood Elementary’s Arts Committee could contact celebrity friends who are actors, singers, comedians and storytellers to perform for one big amazing night at the Sunset Strip’s fantastic Key Club - all to raise money for arts education at our very special school during an economic climate in which LAUSD funding for public schools has been slashed to record low levels.
Jean Louisa Kelly, star of the long-running TV series “Yes, Dear”, brought this dream to the Friends of West Hollywood Elementary Arts Committee (a committee of parents who search out field trips, assemblies, and anything else arts-related to inspire the children of West Hollywood Elementary). From this small hopeful beginning, the dream came to life.
Our very first show in 2010 featured celebrities like Jennifer Garner, Deborah Gibson, Richard Kind and Oscar Nunez, to name a few. The Key Club generously allowed us to use their space and our event raised over $9,000! In 2011, we had many of the same performers back, including Jennifer Garner, and added even more to the mix. The second “Benefit With Friends” raised over $13,000!
Our third event on September 19 features another multi-talented line-up which we hope will help us raise even more money. Talent scheduled to appear on September 19 include: Rachael Harris (“Diary of a Wimpy Kid”, “The Hangover”), Vicki Lewis (“News Radio”, “Finding Nemo”), Nicole Sullivan (“Rita Rocks”, “King of Queens”) and Steven Weber (“Wings”, “Brothers and Sisters”, “Leaving Las Vegas”).
It also features four of our very talented parents: Event creator Jean Louisa Kelly (“Yes, Dear”, “Mr Holland’s Opus”), Rachel Quaintance (“Entourage”, “VH1”, “The Middle”), Matt Corboy (“The Shield”, “Modern Family”, “The Descendants”) and Hope Levy (“Up All Night”, “Shameless”, “Hop”, “Avatar”).
This year Friends of West Hollywood Elementary hopes “Benefit With Friends” will raise even more money to pay for special programs for our children, such as Dancing Classrooms (ballroom dancing for Fifth Graders) and Education Through Music (a school-wide music program).
Tickets are $75.00 (buy at www.benefitwithfriends). 100% of proceeds directly benefit the children of West Hollywood Elementary.
For further information, please contact: info@fowhe.org
Everyone will benefit ten fold for such an investment. Our tiny city having a premier school will raise the property value for all property owners in the city as demand to be in weho school district will be a smaller version of BHHS's incredible affect in increasing the already high property values in BH. The City will benefit from increased property tax revenue and the City Council Can have their number one goal of holding a ceremony for themselves and their creating something great for the city. It can be an annual ceremony/press op/photo shoot (and publicity for how great our little city's elementary school is). oh .. Yeah ... I just realized .... The kids will benefit from not just a superior arts program, but a school without budget worries, salary cuts and with teachers with pride and getting the respect necessary to be a great teacher. Shameful there is ever a need for our rich city to have a small elementary school suffer along with the LAUSD crisis. and property owners (residential and commercial) will have an increase in their property value ... And then maybe have a reason to re-elect the council members who saved threir property vvalue from the national crash.