COURTESY OF JULIAN MIDDLE SCHOOL
Oak Park, Illinois—CAST Council is pleased to announce its annual benefit for the Henry E. Reid Memorial Scholarship Fund, Saturday, April 5th, 7:30pm-10:30pm. The event, The House That Rocks, will be held at the School of Rock, 219 Lake Street in Oak Park.
During the school year, CAST provides all Julian students the opportunity to participate in performances via acting, singing, dancing, stage design, sound and lighting engineering, and stage crew. CAST also provides a tuition-based summer program that runs six weeks and culminates in multiple student-run performances.
CAST Council hosts an event each year to help raise funds for the Henry E. Reid Memorial Scholarship Fund which helps students who may not be able to afford the full tuition for the summer program. In his 17 years with the Oak Park Elementary School District 97, Mr. Reid touched many students’ lives. Throughout those years he served as the social worker for Hatch, Holmes and Julian schools. One of the earliest supporters of the CAST program, Mr. Reid saw how CAST could positively affect the lives of many children regardless of the differences in their abilities. Upon his death in 1993, his wife Sherlynn and his three daughters established the Henry E. Reid Memorial Scholarship Fund in his honor.
CAST is more popular than ever. Participation during both the school year and the Summer Camp program has increased, as has the need for scholarships. In the past 10 years, scholarship requests have quadrupled and the amount awarded has increased seven times. To date, 173 scholarships have been awarded, totaling over $56,000, all of which has been given through generous donations by community members. The Henry E. Reid Memorial Scholarship Fund is not funded through taxes, the school district or the PTO.
The House That Rocks will feature performances by several different acts, each including past and present CAST students. Tickets for this year’s event are $50 and can be purchased in advance through the Julian Middle School website, on the event’s Facebook page, or by contacting Kathy Simon, 708-524-7848
CAST’s mission is to teach, mentor and empower students through performance. CAST provides a safe environment to help our students discover their creative talents; show respect and care for each other; and develop critical thinking, problem solving and decision making skills. For more information about CAST and the Henry E. Reid Memorial Scholarship Fund, access CAST’s website at https://sites.google.com/a/op97.org/cast-at-julian-middle-school-2012-2013/home.
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