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[3/5/2010 SteppersUSA Daily News]
They Give Back
By Markie Bee
National Chicago Style Steppers Day
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Today's Steppers Beat column is sponsored by: WORD OF MOUTH ENTERTAINMENT, LLC. THE QUAD CITY STEPAGANZA Memorial Day Weekend 3rd Annual Fashion Show and Benefit May 27-31st, 2010
In a recent conference call I was asked how many and which steppers groups were giving back to the community and how many were genuine not-for-profit organizations. I was asked to list them on SteppersUSA and I thought about it for a moment and I realized there are links that already exist on the site to the different organizations.
I am going to highlight the three most visible not-for-profit (NFP) steppers organizations in the country.

 

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Continued


The Step and Think Pink BCA organization (501(c) 3) seems to always be the NFP people think of first when you bring up the subject in the Chicago style steppers community. In Chicago Monique Salter runs Step and Think Pink as she is constantly reminding steppers they are not immune to the ravages of breast cancer through her networking skills and events that benefit breast cancer survivors. In October this year she will host a 12 hour dance-a-thon at Mr. G's in Chicago and is actively looking for participants for this event.
In Los Angeles Yausmenda Ali-Bey is the President and Chairman of the Steppin' Across America Foundation (SAAF) (501(c) 3). According to the website, "We provide community outreach services through seminars, publications, workshops, special events and activities that are geared towards improving communal relationships, wellness, economic stability, and addressing social issues." Most recently the Steppin' Across America Foundation has been teaching Chicago style stepping to school aged children in their Steppin' 4 Life™ arts-in-education program. There are several other initiatives that are listed on their website.
By now there isn't a stepper who probably doesn't know about Good Deeds International, LLC (GDI) after the highly successful Heritage Ball in Atlanta. Donald Blount is the President and Chief Executive Officer and according to a statement on their web site "GDI intends to bring awareness to issues within our communities and to promote giving back to those who are less fortunate than us." GDI's efforts include Haiti relief, a scholarship foundation, and a computer literacy initiative serving Atlanta's inner city children.
Another organization that is also giving back to the community on a regular basis is promoter Rose Wellington's Paradise Productions whose monthly steppers event has been a staple of Chicago stepping for many years. Rose has donated a portion of the proceeds from every set to charity since its inception.
Recently in Atlanta, Sarah Teagle founder and CEO of The Steppers Club & Project STEP held a series of workshops and a set called steppin 4 Haiti to benefit the Haitian relief effort.
There are other promoters and organizations who have given back to the community in the past but they haven't come to mind even though I have vague memories of some other efforts in the past. 
 

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