Dear Friends,
Two summers ago, some of you may have remembered that I went with my daughters on a school delegation trip to South Africa where we volunteered and continued 20-year partnerships with two schools, eSibonisweni and Kliptown Youth Program (KYP).
This summer, another delegation of families went from our school and we are excited to partner with Laika Chow and her kids, Mika and Kaleo, to help raise money to purchase instruments for a music room at KYP! Please join us THIS Saturday, August 16th at 9:30am @UUMarin (240 Channing Way, San Rafael) for this special event!
Please wear any or all South African flag colors: white, red, yellow, green, blue, and/or black.
Meet Our Fundraiser Hosts: Mika and Kaleo Chow
"Join us in supporting a special cause close to our hearts: bringing the joy of music to the youth of Kliptown, South Africa.
This fundraiser will help the Kliptown Youth Program (KYP)—a nonprofit that provides education, meals, and programs to children living in one of South Africa’s most underserved areas—purchase instruments and supplies for their music room.
We believe that music has the power to inspire, uplift, and connect people, and we want to help create a space where kids can experience it for themselves."
A message from Kaleo Chow:
“Playing piano every day brings so much happiness to my life, and I want to share that feeling with others. That’s why I’m leading a project in South Africa to teach families how to make their own diddley bows—simple one-string guitars I learned to build in my music and math class. Helping fund the music room at KYP is another way I hope to spread that joy.”
A message from Mika Chow:
"I am so lucky to have grown up surrounded by the joy of music and dance. They've always been more than just hobbies—they’re creative outlets, emotional supports, and ways to connect with others. The happiness and confidence I’ve gained from music and dance are things I believe everyone deserves to experience."
Thank you so much for your support. Every donation or ticket purchased brings us one step closer to helping KYP’s students experience the magic of music.
Sign up to join our KYP Fundraiser here!
A Joy Filled 60th Birthday for Lisa Hudson!
Thank you to all the friends near and far that came to kick off Lisa Hudson’s actual 60th birthday last Saturday morning with a JOY-filled Stop Drop and Dance class!
We all came in our own outfits that “Spark Our Joy” and Lisa picked her favorite songs for the playlist, including our ultimate finale circle dance, “Da Da Ding!” Thank you to Erin Meyers, Catherine Granville, and others who decorated our dance floor with a purple background, a JOY and 60 giant balloon and a jar of cards for everyone to write a note for Lisa!
Lisa also shared a few heartfelt words in the beginning of class. You can click on the video above to watch some of the highlights of our morning together.
“The love that is felt in this room, that’s in this beautiful church… it just fills my cup and gets me up everyday.”
We love you Lisa and you fill our cups too!
Cherish The Moment
With school on weekdays, sports and activities on weekends, sleeping in during the summer and general tween lethargy, it's become harder and harder to get my daughters to attend dance class with me.
Those of you who danced with me since 2020 on Zoom probably remember my girls popping in and out of every single class I taught in the living room, often changing clothes and accessories like sunglasses or headbands.
They were 5 and 8 back then with high energy and endless hugs, but they had short attention spans and needed a lot of supervision. Now they are 10 and 13 with more opinions and moody moments, but they are strong girls that can keep up with anything, whether it's hiking up 999 stairs or learning new dances quickly.
So last Saturday, since it was a special occasion for Lisa Hudson's 60th birthday, I woke them up to attend class, and as they were getting ready, they asked:
"Can we bring Taro and Bun Bun?" (our 15 month old twin troublemaker dogs)
My immediate response was "Absolutely not," because I just imagined them barking non-stop, needing intervention, and distracting me while I taught. My already getting-shorter-term-memory brain cannot remember choreography and deal with unnecessary distractions.
There was a pause, and a few moments later, my girls said:
"But they SPARK JOY!"
Oomph. They creatively and appropriately used the theme of Lisa's birthday class as a comeback against me. And how could I possibly argue with that?
Therefore, Taro and Bun Bun made a special appearance at class sitting in a wagon right outside in the courtyard, and everything went fine.
The dogs were happy.
My girls were happy.
And fine, I was happy too.
(Add smart, cunning, and thinking-out-of-the-box problem solving to that list of 10 and 13 year old characteristics...)
Let's cherish every moment, big or small, because they are opportunities for us to make beautiful memories.
Love,
Grace
