“Programs and services” are honorees of annual Annie Malone Children & Family Service Center's fundraising Soiree August 23

By Walter Pritchard, Soaring High Media Group

One hundred and twenty-five years ago, a group of African-American women saw a disheartening need in the St. Louis area for an orphanage for black children. That vision became Annie Malone Children & Family Service Center.              

Children grew up living at the agency, getting placed there in foster care at age six and staying until age 18. Long term care is no longer offered; now the agency offers short term, emergency residential stays ranging from 10 to 30 days—to prevent abuse and neglect, and impact youth homelessness.

In celebration of an enduring legacy started by those visionary women -  and the $10,000 contribution of the agency’s namesake, Annie Turbo Pope-Malone, a prominent African-American businesswoman and Ville resident - Annie Malone Children and Family Service Center is shaping its tomorrow based on its past.

The agency has made a big deal out of the 125th anniversary by hosting a variety of activities during the spring and summer, among them the annual Annie Malone Parade, a stage production about the parade and a community resource fair.              

Although the parade is a fan favorite, it is more of a “friend-raiser. The annual Soiree is the agency’s major fundraiser, where Annie Malone leadership hopes to attract donors to help the agency build toward the future. This year’s Soiree has a Caribbean Nights theme and is set for Friday, August 23 at Annie Malone’s headquarters, 2612 Annie Malone Drive, St. Louis, MO 63113 in The Ville Neighborhood. 

In a new twist, this year’s “honorees” are the programs and services that the agency provides to enhance the quality of life for children and families, said Niecy Davis, special events /marketing coordinator for Annie Malone.              

“Our honorees will be our programs this year to let people know exactly what Annie Malone is all about,” Davis said. “Not only do we have a fantastic parade but many wonderful programs. The Soiree is designed to introduce people to our programs and raise money to continue and expand our cause.”

The programs include:

• · Crisis Care and Emergency Residential Services
• · Transitional Living Program
• · Emerson Academy Special Education Therapeutic School
• · Parenting Education

Annie Malone’s CEO, Darryl L. Wise, said in the tight economy, overall giving to charitable organizations like Annie Malone is down and potential donors are weighing out their option more succinctly. However, he believes the Soiree is an event that will attract donors and participation because of the agency’s legacy.

“This is huge for us,” he said. “We depend on individual donations. We have to maximize our fundraising potential.

“Donations will allow us to improve on our many needs, especially in programs and services,” he continued.” The local and state funding we receive is insufficient to cover the cost of running our programs, two of which operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We need additional funds to continue to effectively run high quality programs.”

Participants are encouraged to dress in laid-back, dressy-casual attire to fit the Caribbean Nights theme. The evening will feature music with a Caribbean/reggae flavor and nationally acclaimed, award winning artist Daniel Hodges, who will be unveiling a commemorative painting celebrate the legacy of Annie Malone the woman and the agency.

Joseph Anderson, president of 100 Black Men of St Louis and James Buford, recently retired executive director of the Urban League of St. Louis will be honorary chairpersons.

The Soiree begins at 7 p.m. with the serving of food. A cash bar will be available. An after-party is set to kick-off at 10 p.m. To RSVP and for tickets, call Niecy Davis at 314.531.0120 or at ndavis@anniemalone.com.

One-man stage show “The May Day Parade” plays at Sumner High School May 1 in celebration of Annie Malone’s 125th anniversary

Song and dance man, Wayne Harris stars
in the one-man production,
"The May Day Parade" May 1
at Sumner High School

by Walter Pritchard, Soaring High Media Group

The song and dance storyteller, Wayne Harris, is bringinghis eye opening, one-man play “The May Day Parade” stage show to Sumner HighSchool Auditorium on Wednesday, May 1 as part of 125th anniversary celebrationof Annie Malone Children & Family Service Center.

 

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with show time at 6:30 p.m. atSumner, 4268 West Cottage Avenue, in the historic Ville neighborhood in NorthSt. Louis. Tickets are $20 each and available at the door and by calling AnnieMalone at 314.531.0120. Proceeds benefit families in crisis and homeless teens.

 

In the play, Harris, a St. Louis native who now resides in theSan Francisco Bay area, is so adept at painting pictures with words that theaudience never doubts that a parade is coming down the street, pulling off akind of magical, mystical one-man parade. It's quite an accomplishment for the remarkableperformer and story.

 

Staging for the 80-minute long production includes only achair and black box. “I am the prop,” he said.

 

The play had an 11 week run in San Francisco and was a hitat the Vancouver International Fringe Festival in Canada, British Columbia’slargest annual theatre festival.

A review in the San Francisco Bay Guardian newspaper ofHarris’ The May Day Parade goes as follows: "Harrisdominates the stage in a way most soloist cannot... A musical force on thestage....it is hard to stay seated in your chair. Harris takes his audience ona joyful ride with a play full of memorable characters and delightful stories."

 

Written by Harris and set in the 1960s when the beloved eventwas a mainstay in The Ville, “The May Day Parade” is a first person account thatchronicles Harris’ many years of marching in the spectacle beginning when hewas 8 years old. 

 

Harris, 58, portrays more than a dozen characters, rangingfrom a slightly inebriated Baptist deacon, his grandmother known as “MamaBelle” with her biting criticism of biblical proportions, to the 100member-strong Sumner High School Marching Band. He tells the story of himself –a young boy overcoming polio, the thrill of new shoes and a foul-mouth banner carryingpartner, while learning the value of family, faith and community.

 

As a member of the Pleasant Green Missionary BaptistChurch's Drum & Bugle Corps struggling with polio, being able to march in theparade presented a tough physical and intensely personal challenge for Harris.His first role was as a banner carrier at age 8.

 

“I remember (Pleasant Green) Deacon Nelson telling my motherthat a banner carrier was needed and asking her could I do it,” Harrisrecalled. “She said yes.”

 

And his story about The May Day Parade began. “Rev. Pruitt would tell the congregation at Pleasant Greento come out and ‘watch our young people strut their stuff right down to AnnieMalone,’ ” Harris said.