Luminate: to illuminate, shine light on, make something bright or visible, light up.
This Thursday, April 25, Sacred Heart Music Center in Duluth will be filled with energy and the creative talents of youth from throughout our community in a fun, free event aimed at celebrating the hopes and dreams of kids in our region while spreading awareness about Life House Duluth.
The evening features youth performers from Life House and the Music Resource Center in a stellar line-up that includes: Hand drum/traditional Native ceremony song, hip hop, 5-piece punk band, youth singer/songwriters, stand-up comedy, classical piano, dueling improv pianos, visual art, an 11-year-old composer, and youth emcee.
The evening will close out with a film premiere of a short film documentary called Light Holder, featuring an inspiring Native American Life House program graduate who went from a broken and abusive foster care system, to Life House, to owning her own business, going to college, and becoming an advocate for foster youth rights in the Minnesota legislature.
This youth-aimed community event is free with pizza provided compliments of Lulu's Pizza, and beverages compliments of Viking Coca-Cola Bottling Company. Also on hand will be products for sale from the Life House Legitimate Hustle youth business skill development program and other Life House youth graduates' small businesses. Ticket reservations are recommended to help with attendance estimates: www.LuminateDuluth.com
This event was developed by a Leadership Duluth cohort; the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce runs a 10-month leadership development program called Leadership Duluth that aims to unite, engage, and empower leaders to foster change within their workplace and community. Participants also work in focused groups to complete a volunteer service project that addresses the needs of a local organization. This particular cohort is comprised of eleven business professionals working to spread awareness of Life House Duluth in a non-traditional way to reach youth who could benefit from their services:
Amber Burns - Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation
Caitlin Crowl - Fryberger Law Firm
Nic Hanson - Proctor Public Schools
Joe McGinnis - United States Coast Guard
Jen Pennington - Sheraton Duluth Hotel
Jason Peterson - Intectural
Eric Reisinger - Bremer Bank
Kelly Schamberger - Marshall School
Jesse Smith - Hanft Fride Law Firm
Kylie Thompson - Members Cooperative Credit Union
Shawna Weaver - Duluth Historic Armory
The group raised over $9,000 to host the event, rent the venue, pay performers, hire filmmaker Jeremy Gardner to create the short film documentary of Jasmine Clark, rent a large-scale screen for the premiere, and cover sound, light, and AV costs. Local businesses donated to this amount, and also to swag bags for each youth performer to take home. Remaining funds and any donations made during the event will go to Life House to continue to support their programming and operating costs.
Life House Duluth is an organization that annually serves approximately 850 unduplicated youth aged 14 to 24 who are homeless, unstably-housed, or navigating life challenges. Support includes services such as free meals, transitional housing, mental health and addiction counseling, GED tutoring, independent life skills training, and job coaching in a safe, judgment-free and unconditionally welcoming environment.
-- Press release
