Columbia Dance Give More 24 Fundraiser

Hello friends and family,

As many of you know, Mckinlee has been actively involved in dance for many years at Columbia Dance. Over the past five years, she has grown tremendously in her dance skills. However, what you may not know is how much Mckinlee has benefitted from dance in many other ways. It has truly helped her develop grit, tenacity, and the ability to work hard at skills that take months or even years to master.

Her experience at this studio has also taught her valuable time management skills and how to independently manage both her after-school and summer schedules. She has learned to work collaboratively on a team and to show compassion and empathy toward her fellow dancers. Within her close-knit cohort, she has learned what it means to be a good friend. She has also learned flexibility—especially while dancing on Zoom during COVID, wearing masks, and adjusting to social distancing in past years.

Furthermore, she has come to see the importance of volunteer work and community involvement outside of school. This past summer, Mckinlee volunteered as a junior counselor for a week, working with a group of 4–6-year-olds. For the past three years, I have also been volunteering each Saturday in three inclusive dance classes with a group of wonderful dance students and teenage mentors. I have had the pleasure of serving on the Board of Trustees for the past two-plus years. As many of you know, managing time as a working parent can be tricky, but I have chosen to dedicate my volunteer efforts to Columbia Dance because of their passion for inclusion, the wonderful culture they promote, and the skills I see the dancers developing.

In order to keep this nonprofit thriving, we participate in two fundraisers each year. One of these is Give More 24. I am especially passionate about these fundraisers because they provide financial aid and support for community events in at our studio and in our local school districts. For example, last year we were able to provide dances classes to a local elementary school for the academic year. Also, we were able to raise enough funds so that every INCLUDE dancer could participate in dance free of charge, eliminating any financial barriers to this meaningful experience.

This month, I hope you will consider donating to a nonprofit that means so much to our family and many other families in the Vancouver and Portland areas.

Columbia Dance fundraising facts: 

• We award $45,000 annually in financial aid awards
• Over 200 children walk through our doors every week
• 25 children participate in our INCLUDE classes- accessible dance classes for children with disabilities
• 100 children participate in our Outreach program at Orchards Elementary School, a title 1 school.
• 1,500 children (every 3rd grader in Vancouver Public Schools) study our Nutcracker curriculum and are bussed to see our live performance as a school day field trip

Many thanks,

Kelly Budnick