Dance for Darfur

Contact: Laura Kline
Manager of Public Relations, Recruitment, and Admissions
502-458-6258
laura.kline@ahsrockets.org

April 14, 2008 – Louisville, KY – Assumption High School students, in cooperation with students at Trinity High School, will host a Darfur dance marathon and lock-in at Bellarmine University’s Frazier Hall. This event is to raise awareness and funds for the cause in Darfur and will begin on Saturday, April 19 at 7:00 p.m. and last through Sunday, April 20, at 12:00 noon.

After taking a Catholic Social Teaching class in her junior year, Assumption senior Meredith Doll felt inspired to do something to make a difference in the world. When she heard Nick Clooney speak about the atrocities in Darfur to her group at the Governor Scholars Program last summer, she knew this was the cause for which she was searching. Doll, along with three other Assumption seniors, attended the Students Taking Action Now: Darfur (STAND) Conference in Washington, D.C. in September, 2007. Since returning, the girls, along with the Assumption Global Issues Club, have held a showing of the video, The Devil Came on Horseback, a documentary on the genocide that is rampant in Darfur. This was part of a “Darfur Night Series.” The dance marathon is the first major fundraising endeavor sponsored by the club.

The dance marathon is open to all high school students, and participants must remain on their feet for the duration of the 16-hour event. Entertainment will be provided throughout, including live bands, DJ, performances by the Assumption Step Team, and other student group performances. Students will also be invited to join corn hole or Guitar Hero competitions, and will view movie dance scenes, Darfur videos, and a slide show of facts about the Darfur conditions and how to help. Refreshments will also be available at a small cost. The event will conclude with a prayer service.

Registration at the door is $20. Participants are encouraged to raise more than the registration fee. Anyone raising at least $40 will receive a T-shirt, and top fundraisers will receive a prize. Students must arrive by 9:00 p.m., and will not be allowed to leave during the event without special permission obtained beforehand. Please contact the school office at 458-9551 for additional information.

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Assumption High School was founded in 1955 by the Sisters of Mercy. Located at 2170 Tyler Lane, the school brings almost 1,000 students together, grades 9-12, in a Catholic environment. Assumption is one of only 41 schools in the nation and the only all-girls school in Louisville to receive the U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon School of Excellence three times. For more information, visit www. ahsrockets.org.