America SCORES’ Red Carpet Poetry Slam benefit night will celebrate and support the words of Chicago Public School students while honoring ten years of partnership with The Chicago Fire SC
and community supporters.
CHICAGO, Illinois – “Hello grown-ups, are you there? Please listen up, we promise to talk slowly” begins the student poetry performance at Chicago‘s fourth annual Red Carpet Poetry Slam (RCPS) on Thursday, January 27th at the School of the Art Institute Ballroom (112 South Michigan Avenue). The RCPS is a benefit event supporting America SCORES, the city’s only non-profit after school organization that combines soccer and poetry to inspire 500 urban public school students each year to Write, Play, Achieve.
The America SCORES Chicago Red Carpet Poetry Slam will initiate at 5:30 pm with a cocktail reception and silent auction, and will feature live music from Chicago‘s legendary Tammy McCann Quartet. The Poetry Slam will begin at 7:00 pm and will highlight original spoken word poetry from select America SCORES students.
In celebration of its 10th anniversary serving Chicago‘s at-risk youth, America SCORES will present Calliope Awards to community partners who have shown a decade of support: the Chicago Fire Soccer Club, Madison Dearborn Partners, the Bernau Family Foundation, and Edward Magnus. America SCORES will also honor the Crafton family, whose members have been either participants or coaches the entire 10 years of the program’s existence.
The evening will conclude with a dessert reception, wine raffle and an autograph session with the performing poets. Those interested in tickets and donations should call 312-666-0496 or visit www.chicagoscoresevents.org
*A limited number of complementary media passes are available. Please contact Brian Bullington at [email protected] or at 312.666.0496. To learn more about the event, to meet the poets, and to hear some the poetry go to www.chicagoscoresevents.org
About America SCORES Chicago
America SCORES Chicago is an affiliate of America SCORES, a unique national youth development program that seeks to help urban students “score goals on the field and achieve goals in the classroom.” America SCORES Chicago serves 500 students 20-25 weeks per year in nine public elementary schools. Students ages 8-13 receive after-school programming five days per week throughout the school year.
Recently, America SCORES poet-athletes, including one RCPS performer, were featured on Fox Chicago news and WGCI radio when they produced the single “We are the Future” with Grammy winner The Legendary Traxster through an ASCAP songwriter in residency program.
America SCORES has been recognized by two consecutive White House administrations for excellence in youth development and as a model for fighting childhood obesity after school.
For more information,visitwww.americascoreschicago.org.