By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
It is a dance performance, but much more than that.
The “Chance 2 Dance” benefit performance Saturday evening at the Missouri Theater will raise money for the Voices of Courage Child Advocacy Center.
Marla Heeler, who owns Dance Arts Center, says the benefit attracts dance studios from throughout the region. She says it’s a way for kids to help kids.
“They come, they perform lots of different fun dances and it’s kind of a fun way for kids to get to meet other dancers and perform for people without necessarily having a competitive atmosphere like they have sometimes now a days at dance competitions,” Heeler says during a stint on the KFEQ Hotline.
Voices of Courage Executive Director Melissa Birdsell says the performance goes beyond just raising money.
“Fundraising is great because it also gets our message out there,” Birdsell says. “We do have some grants and some state funding that helps us along, but it’s certainly not enough to cover nine counties and all the children that we need to help. So, fundraising is really important, because it gets out name out there and it gets our mission out there so that people understand there is help for kids.”
Voice of Courage serves nine counties, providing counseling for children as well as help navigating the legal system.
The “Chance 2 Dance” benefit performance begins at 7 p.m. Saturday night at the Missouri Theater.