Carnival at Whistler School wraps up YMCA Community School Initiative funded by Charter One Bank and its 'Making Music Matter' program CHICAGO, July 24
CHICAGO, July 24 /PRNewswire/ -- "It's show time!" this Friday at noon for
more than 50 students ages 5 through 13 who have been honing their performing
arts talents in a program at Whistler School on the far South Side. These
special performances are part of an all-day carnival to celebrate the final
day of the community school summer program at Whister. This initiative by the
YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, and funded throughout the summer by Charter One
Bank, is offered to kids in challenged neighborhoods and designed to be
educational while keeping them safe. The community school program continues
through the summer at the Libby Community School, Ryerson Community School,
Marillac Social Center and the LEARN Charter School.
The performances will include songs sung by the kindergartners and first
graders, and a dance routine by the second- and third-graders
(choreographed by a former Whistler student) along with a rendition of the
Disney classic "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah." The boys in grades four through eight
will perform an affirmative rap and their own stomp routine based on the
African American Fraternity stomp traditions. And the fourth through eighth
grade girls will perform a special dance routine. The students not only
helped develop the routines and skits, but also designed their costumes.
Friday's events at Whistler School will have a carnival theme and include
a magician, face painting, balloons, cotton candy, temporary tattoos and more.
The children's parents will also attend.
The performers at Whistler are among 600 students at five community
schools who participated in the YMCA's Community School initiative for
children and their families. The YMCA's summer program is funded through a
$200,000 grant by Charter One and by contributions raised through the bank's
Making Music Matter program. Now in its third year, Making Music Matter
focuses on raising awareness, visibility and financial support for nonprofit
organizations throughout the Chicago area.
Charter One employees proudly volunteer their time to participate in many
community events and will help staff the Whistler carnival.
Event Information
WHO:Children ages 5-13
WHAT: Song, dance and rap performances at a Carnival to celebrate the
achievements of students participating in the YMCA Community
School initiative
WHERE: Whistler School, 11533 S. Ada St. (S. Ada and W. 115th) Chicago,
IL, 60643
WHEN: Friday, July 25, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.
Special instructions: Event will take place outdoors near the North
playground. Members of the media will need to show credentials for
admittance.
About Charter One
Charter One is a division of RBS Citizens, N.A., operating in Illinois,
Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. It has 466 branches and more than 780 ATMs. It
has 121 branches and 358 ATMs in Illinois. Charter One's Web site is
charterone.com.
RBS Citizens, N.A. is a subsidiary of Citizens Financial Group, Inc., a
$159 billion commercial bank holding company headquartered in Providence, R.I.
CFG's two bank subsidiaries are RBS Citizens, N.A. and Citizens Bank of
Pennsylvania. They operate a 13-state branch network under the Citizens Bank
brand in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New
York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont, and the Charter One brand in
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. CFG has non-branch retail and
commercial offices in about 40 states. It is one of the 10 largest commercial
banking companies in the United States ranked by assets and deposits. CFG is
owned by RBS (The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc). CFG's Web site is
citizensbank.com.
About the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago
Through its 65 locations and more than 100 extension sites, the YMCA helps
children learn and grow, teaches young people to lead, brings families closer,
and encourages individual health and well-being. The fourth largest
non-profit in Chicago and one of the largest human services organizations in
the nation, YMCA programs impact hundreds of thousands of lives annually,
helping to strengthen neighborhoods and respond to community needs across
Chicagoland. To learn more about the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, visit
http://www.ymcachgo.org.
SOURCE Charter One; YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago
