Hazelwood District Students, Staff Donate to Arts and Education Campaign

Hazelwood School District students and staff members donated more than $9,800 to the Arts and Education Council of St. Louis in 2011. HSD staff members have donated more than $80,000 to local arts organizations since 2000.

Every spring, the district conducts its campaign, which now lasts for three weeks. This year, Townsend Elementary School collected the most, more than $1,000. Four other schools – Jamestown Elementary, Hazelwood East High, Cold Water Elementary and Hazelwood Southeast Middle – each collected more than $500. Students at six elementary schools donated more than $1,100 during uniform-free opportunity days and other one-time events.

“This year’s campaign, ‘I Am Art, Are You?’ encouraged us to tap into our ‘inner artist,’ embrace all the arts has to offer and challenge others to do the same,” said Cynthia A. Prost, the council’s president. “Your support of the council is vital for the arts to thrive and grow. A $50 gift can provide one pair of dance shoes for a needy student or class supplies for one week of a summer art workshop for special needs children or 10 weeks of music-reading classes for one student.”

Organizations served by the council include the Florissant Fine Arts Council, Dance St. Louis, the Black Repertory Theatre, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Laumeier Sculpture Park, Circus Flora and the Center of Creative Arts – COCA, Springboard, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis and many others.

HSD participates in the Arts and Education’s annual workplace giving program. These programs help employees become engaged in their community. And through payroll deduction, employees can make monthly donations and still receive the yearly benefits of being an Arts and Education Council member. Workplace giving is important because one-third of the total annual revenue the council raises comes from workplace giving donors and 10,000 employees donate to the council each year. Other benefits include:

The Arts and Education Council, founded in 1963, is the only privately funded arts umbrella organization that serves the 16-county bi-state region.

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