ARTS FOR LIFE FESTIVAL! 

It's that time of the year for the Art's For Life Festival that focuses on bringing all of the art forms to the stage on Saturday, April 18, 2015 in Avondale Park 10am-6pm with the purpose of getting as many African Americans to give blood as possible.   There will be bands, poets, drama companies, and dance companies will take the stage all day as visual artists create huge works of art on stage.  It will be a family friendly day of fun with a Children's Village for the little ones and competitions for high & college school students, high schools, and (grown folks) organizations/groups/companies to determine who can get the most blood donated!

1. Local High Schools will compete against each other to determine which high school can get the most blood donated.  The winning high school will get a special visit from (Summit Media Group's) 95.7Jamz with a special presentation  (Each student that gives blood  will receive 3 hours of community service).
2. Local (civic, social, professional) organizations/groups/associations will compete against each other throughout the day to determine who can donate the most  blood.  The winning group will receive a special visit at a local restaurant from 98.7FM to present the winning group with accolades for winning the blood drive competition.
3. High School and college students can enter a short short film competition showing why it is important for African Americans to donate blood, how sickle cell disease is tied into the donation of blood, and the importance of more African Americans donating blood.  For additional information please email oppush4blood@gmail.com (Each student participating will receive 8 community service hours).
4. High Schools can enter 1 trash can structure using recycled items that will all be displayed in the park on the day of the festival.  For additional information please email oppush4blood@gmail.com (Each student participating will receive 8 community service hours).

Continue to watch this page for updates!  Thanks to First United Community Foundation, NAACP (Alabama Conference), and Summit Media Group for making this possible.  Come out and donate blood and if you can't donate blood you can donate funds for the year long campaign to get 50,000 African Americans to donate blood.  Click on the link below for additional information.  Help save lives by donating blood or donating funds.  Take a look at Facebook pages Operation Push For Blood and Arts For Life Festival.

http://fundrazr.com/campaigns/8xNY8

 http://fundrazr.com/campaigns/8xNY8

Events

Because of the passion I have to get the word out about Sickle Cell I often organize and participate in various events to help me in this mission.  Please take a moment to look at the upcoming events I’ll be a part of and come out to support the cause.  Additional, if you want to volunteer to help with any event please contact me.

September is Sickle Cell Awareness Month!  We are gearing up for an awesome month!!!!

Thank you to all of our sponsors for helping to make these events in September take place:  First United Community Foundation, NAACP, Dr. Ronisha Thomas 

September 4, 2014 Join us at the Civil Rights Institute (520- 16th Street North, Birmingham, AL 35203) at 6pm for the opening exhibit of art work created by those living with sickle cell disease, parents, and caregivers.  In one of the larger galleries you will find not only works of art but panels that tell the history of sickle cell disease.  There will be a reception and program in the auditorium.  Please join us and purchase works of art as you not only see the expressions of feelings by those living with the disease, but you will also hear from a few people who live with the disease in some shape, form, or fashion.
For details and/or additional information please call LaTanya Millhouse at 205-706-3671 or Amad Ward at 205-328-9696.  And if you are someone who would like to create a work of art please call Freida Hall at 205-643-0703 to find out more details regarding the art therapy sessions that will take place in August.  Sponsored by the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, First United Community Foundation, and the NAACP.

The Emergency Preparedness Workshop that was planned for September 12, 2014 at Homewood Library has been postponed until a later day TBA.

September 18, 2014  Come out to Villagio's Resturant at Ross Bridge from 6-8pm for a fundraiser event supporting Sickle Cell Disease advocacy and awareness with songbird Sharon Collins Adley, Comedian Bennie Mac, and Spoken word artist Tina Kay (and guest appearance by LeSean Dial).  Enjoy an evening of entertainment, good food, networking while you help in the efforts to make the public as a whole more aware of the sickle cell disease campaign.

September 20, 2014 Join us for the 2nd Annual Sickle Cell Awareness Festival, "Arts For Life" in Avondale Park (4101- 5th Avenue South).  There will be performances by live local bands, performances by dance companies, a children's village to create art work and art work will be created by artists on the stage while the local bands play in the ampitheatre.   There will be a blood bus in the parking lot for people to donate blood to save lives.  This year we are encouraging social & civic organizations to compete against each other in giving blood and registering for the bone marrow registry for this year's bragging rights and a trophy.  Please enter your team, group or organization into the competition by sending an email to oppush4blood@gmail.com or calling 205-901-9923 for additional information. This is a free, fun, family day in the park for people to enjoy the arts and give life (by donating blood and registering for the bone marrow registry).  Please Note:  People living with sickle cell disease need blood on a regular basis for blood transfusions and blood exchanges.  Sponsored by First United Community Foundation & the NAACP.

This luncheon will celebrate women in our community living with chronic illnesses and diseases but still find time and energy to give back to the community. Each of the ladies live with different diseases however, these ailments do not define them nor do these wonderful women allow life to be compromised. Each woman shares a story that's all her own however, each story teaches life lessons about strength, faith, love for life, hope, and tenacity. I hope this annual luncheon will inspire others to take a look at their own lives and incorporate a bit of each woman being celebrated into Their own lives. The ladies being honored are Rosie Butler, Daron Drew, Nyya Parson-Hudson, Freida Hall, Raven Burton, Rochelle Malone, and Sandra Little-Brown.

 This luncheon will take place at Ross Bridge Town Square Center on Saturday, May 17, 2014 from 1-3pm and tickets are $35/person. On the day of the event the price of the tickets are $40.  Isis Jones of 98.7FM will be the Mistress of Ceremony for the day.  Secret judges will be in attendance to determine which winning lady is wearing the best looking high heels of the day. A silent auction will also take place during the luncheon, with accessories for women and the proceeds going to First United Community Foundation (a non-profit in the Birmingham area) that Tina Kay works closely with concerning health issues.  A portion of the proceeds will also to help with Sickle Cell Disease advocacy and awareness.

National Sickle Cell Advocacy Day

WHATZ  DA COUNT On Sickle Cell Trait Prevention is proud to announce that we are spearheading a movement called “Let’s Do Something” .  The purpose of this movement is to engage and mobilize the sickle cell community by targeting those individuals living with sickle cell disease, the trait, parents, caregivers, and concerned citizens (who cannot attend National Sickle Cell Advocacy Day on April 3, 2014, in Washington, DC) on Capitol Hill.  So we strongly urge you to use social media to our advantage.  Unfortunately, in 2009 the Sickle Cell Treatment Act (SCTA) was not reinstated and we need this act to be reinstated!  This movement represents the voice of the people who live with sickle cell disease and the trait, day in and day out.  The goal is to have thousands upon thousands of people all over the United States take part in the Social Media Takeover on April 3, 2014  So, we need everyone to make yourselves knowledgeable about the Sickle Cell Treatment Act by going to http://www.sicklecelldisease.org/index.cfm?page=legislative-initiatives  that gives lots of good information so that you can become familiar with what the SCTA is all about as we take a stand together as a community with one purpose in mind, reinstating the SCTA.  On April 3, 2014 reach out to your local, county, state, and congressional elected officials all day long and be very brief in this first phase by letting your elected officials know the SCTA needs to be reinstated and provide them with facts about SCD, all day long.  Go to your elected officials Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook pages and like their social media pages then post, tweet, and Instagram.  We not only want you (someone living with the disease) to do something, please mobilize everyone you know including your church, professional organizations, civic organizations, Greek organizations, motorcycle and car clubs, social and savings clubs; whatever organization you are tied to and urge them to help by doing the same things you are doing.  We must do something now together with one voice, one goal, and one purpose in mind! There are five phases to this movement, the first of which focuses on April 3, 2014 (National SC Advocacy Day) when we bombard our elected officials collectively.  The goal is to educate them about SCD and the importance of reinstating the SCTA on all levels (city, county, state, and congressional) with social media; Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.   In this first phase we are asking that you use Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to encourage your elected officials on all levels to support the Sickle Cell Treatment Act and post facts about Sickle Cell Disease.  We are not sharing our stories just yet, we want to inform the elected officials with facts about SCD and let them know briefly that we need their support regarding the SCTA.  On April 3, 2014 throughout the day we will have people from Sickle Cell Warriors giving us updates from Washington DC, on SCWarrior Tweet. In the second phase, we will have two educational webinars that will educate the Sickle Cell Community about the SCTA.  If you are interested in taking part in the webinar or listening to the recording sessions please contact Tina Kay at contact@tinakay.net. For more detailed information regarding the SCTA please visit the following websites: This web site provides information on the "Sickle Cell Disease Treatment Demonstration Program." https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2013/07/24/2013-17720/sickle-cell-disease-treatment-demonstration-program   This is the HRSA (Health Resources and Services Administration on Maternal and Child Health. We have included a check list (on the following page) that will aid you and others in our mission on April 3, 2014.  Also, you will find talking points to aid you as you speak with people, kind of a cheat sheet of sorts.  It will take everyone in the sickle cell community doing something to make our mission of having the SCTA reinstated.  You can make such a big impact by following the instructions we have provided.  If you have any questions or concerns you can contact:

1. Farron Dozier, SFC (RET) aka  (IAMWDC) at email: wdconscd@gmail.com Twitter and Instagram @iamwdc FaceBook www.facebook.com/WDCRADIO

2. Kamilah Bailey at  bailey_k09@yahoo.com

3. Tina Kay by Twitter: tkay2006, Facebook: Tina Kay, Instagram: tkay2006,  contact@tinakay.net, www.tinakay.net

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-nOymr8koA

Women Wearing High Heels In High Places

This luncheon will celebrate women in our community living with chronic illnesses and diseases but still find time and energy to give back to the community.  Each of the ladies live with different diseases however, these ailments do not define them nor do they allow life to be compromised.  Each woman shares a story of her own but each story teaches life lessons about strength, faith, love of life, and tenacity.  I hope this annual luncheon will inspire others to take a look at their own lives and incorporate a bit of the life lessons shared by each woman that will be celebrated.  The ladies being honored are Rosie Butler, Daron Drew, Nyya Parson-Hudson, Freida Hall, Rochelle Malone, and Sandra Little-Brown. This luncheon will take place at Ross Bridge Town Square Center on Saturday, May 17, 2014 from 1-3pm and tickets are $50/person; however, there are early bird prices available.  Secret judges will be present, that will determine which three winning ladies in attendance are wearing the best looking high heels.  A silent auction will also take place during the luncheon, with accessories for women and the proceeds going to First United Community Foundation (a non-profit in the Birmingham area).    A portion of the proceeds will also to help with Sickle Cell Disease advocacy and awareness. The speaker for the day will be Tina Kay, the host, who lives with Sickle Cell Disease as she shares her story and talk about the price for wearing High Heels in High Places.  Music will be provided by Fee Nominal Music.  If you are interested in donating items for the silent auction, please send an email to tkay2006@gmail.com (all items donated are tax deductible).  If you are interested in being a sponsor please call 205-901-9923.  Purchase your tickets at https://highheelsluncheon.eventbrite.com