Lewiston Kiwanis sponsors a sweet trip to Artpark for area students

Niagara Frontier Publications, April 5, 2007

Thanks to the support of the Kiwanis Club of Lewiston, another 100 area students will have the opportunity to experience the Kennedy Center’s critically acclaimed stage production of Roald Dahl’s “Willy Wonka” at Artpark in May.

The Kiwanis Club announced that it will be donating 100 tickets to Artpark’s spring children’s theater show, providing 20 elementary students from each of five area schools with the opportunity to be part of this exciting live theater experience. The local schools included in the Kiwanis project include Lewiston-Porter, Stella Niagara, St. Peter’s, Tuscarora Indian School and Sacred Heart Villa School.

The show, which takes place at Artpark’s Mainstage Theater on Wednesday, May 23, at 9:45 and 11:30 a.m., is based upon Dahl’s classic tale of Charlie Bucket and four other “Golden Ticket” winners who encounter the tour of a lifetime inside Wonka’s bizarre candy-making factory. It features live actors, puppets, life lessons and memorable songs, as well as a comprehensive packet, which educates teachers on how to incorporate skills and techniques – inherent to theatrical productions – into their everyday classroom.

The Kiwanis is part of a global organization of volunteers dedicated to “changing the world one child and one community at a time.” The Lewiston chapter, chartered in 1958, annually contributes in excess of $50,000 to local service projects and is responsible for several community-oriented events – most notably the Peach Festival.

“As a culturally-enriching, not-for-profit group that provides a great deal of entertaining and educational experiences for youths throughout Western New York, Artpark is a model for the type of organization that the Lewiston Kiwanis aims to support,” said Lewiston Kiwanis Youth Services Chairman Dean Beltrano. “This sponsorship not only provides a wonderful opportunity for many area students to experience a Kennedy Center-produced show, but it also displays our public support for Artpark and all of the outstanding community-oriented activities that they offer.”

The Kennedy Center’s Imagination Celebration on Tour program began in 1992. Since then, more than one million people have experienced its renowned touring productions. Artpark presents an on-school-time children’s performance each spring in an effort to expose younger generations to the performing arts. Each year, thousands of students from Niagara and Erie counties come to Artpark on field trips to enjoy outstanding live theater shows and the beauty of Artpark’s location on the Lower Niagara River.

Tickets are still available for the hour-long performance, although the early show is very close to a sell-out. To order tickets and/or request an informational brochure, call the Artpark Box Office at 754-4375, Ext. 239, or visit www.artpark.net.