Performers With A Purpose, "Bringing Sarcoma Awareness Center Stage"

Mission: Spread the joy of performing arts to our youth while raising awareness and funds for Sarcoma 

Results: 127 Public School Performers, 

8 Outstanding Dancing Schools, 

500 People and $12, 000.00 raised . . . Safe to say, "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!" 

Last year in an Arts Management class I created a 40 page not for profit business proposal called Performers With A Purpose, “Bringing Sarcoma Awareness Center Stage,” and this year I was able to take it off the paper and make it a reality !!! My biggest goal as Miss Brooklyn this year was to coordinate a dance benefit performance and on May 7th at Xaverian High School that goal came to life !!! I created and implemented a dance program in three Brooklyn Public Schools, PS 112, PS 48 & IS 187, teaching dance to 200 students a week ranging from Kindergarten to 8th Grade. My mission was to not only spread the importance of an arts education, but to show students that the arts can be used as a launching pad for success and can be a great tool for community service.  For four months I worked with the terrific children who danced their way into my heart and changed my life completely.  Their smiles, their passion and their joy made all of the stress of putting together such a detailed event soooo worth it !!! 


My inspiration and my motivation for everything I have done this year comes from a place that is very dear to my heart.  My Aunt Josephine Schiavo, who is a Stage 4 Sarcoma Cancer Survivor, has been my driving force every step of the way.  Her strength and her positive attitude through adversity is something  I admire tremendously.  I wanted to educate the community about Sarcoma because the reality is Sarcoma is the most rare form of cancer in the United States today, affecting 1% of adults and 15-20% of children each and every year, there are more then 50 subtypes of Sarcoma most of which even doctors can't diagnose and when approximately 4,000 people lose the fight with this cancer every year we can't afford not to know about it. 

Therefore, I was determined to make Performers With A Purpose come to life, I reached out to sponsors throughout Brooklyn and beyond and raised $4,600.00 in donations to ensure that all of the money raised at the event would go to the Sarcoma Alliance; the not-for profit California based organization that I chose to support this year as Miss Brooklyn. They strive to educate, guide & support patients and families afflicted with Sarcoma and I myself am so thankful that an organization like theirs exists, (www.sarcomaalliance.org). 

THANK YOU TO ALL OF MY AMAZING SPONSORS

The week leading up to the event was the most challenging week of my life.  There were obstacles, stress and a great deal that went wrong lol, but when 500 people showed up to support the cause, I knew I must have done something right ! We even had a few surprise guest speakers including Councilman Vincent Gentile & Senator Golden.  In addition, Miss New York, Claire Buffie, Miss Manhattan, Mallory Hagan, Miss NYC, Hannah Wright, Miss Five Boroughs, Kate Perkins, Miss Brooklyn’s Outstanding Teen Brittney Hollingsworth and Miss Brooklyn’s Executive Director, Amaris Acosta, were all in attendance.


Someone very special to me once told me "if you have the gift of dance, don't be selfish, share it with as many people as possible," and being able to stand up on that stage in front of all of those people and seeing my vision come to life was an indescribable feeling of utter JOY! 

Love you Aunt Joe <3

PS 122 Kindergarten Cuties <3
"Do You Believe In Magic" 

PS 48 4th Graders
"I'm A Believer" 

IS 187 Christa McAuliffe
"Don't Stop Believing" 

ZUMBA with Miss M <3

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THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART FOR EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT TO SUPPORT THIS EVENT! THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO DONATED THEIR TIME AND THEIR RESOURCES, FOR WITHOUT YOU THIS EVENT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE. 


I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for Performers With A Purpose, but if all goes well I hope to turn it into a full not-for-profit organization within the next 10 years <3


Love, 
Christina 

Top Women In Business Awards

After I was Principal For The Day at P.S. 48, I ran over to Pilo Arts Day Spa & Salon (www.piloarts.com) got my hair done by Jayne Chillo, then jetted to Queens to join a crowd of 800 people at Terrace On The Park for the Top Women In Business Networking Awards Dinner.  The event honored 40 of the most successful women in business for the year 2011. Among them was the fabulous Elena Solitario co-founder and owner of Pilo Arts, who has been an asset to the Brooklyn community for over 20 years and 

who has generously sponsored me this year as Miss Brooklyn.  Her commitment, 

drive and determination is what has made Pilo Arts one of the nations leading 

salons. 

Arriving at the awards dinner

Elena Solitario, Top Women In Business Honoree
& Owner of Pilo Arts 

Elena Solitario & Renee Dorsa

All of the women honored came from diverse backgrounds and fields of business, but what they all had in common was their dedication to their community.  It was a true honor to be in a room full of such inspirational and empowering women, including Woman Of The Year, Fox 5 reporter Tai Hernandez, President of the Brooklyn Real Estate Board, Renee Dorsa, & Executive Director of the Queens Symphony Orchestra, Lynda Herndon. 

Woman of the Year, Tai Hernandez of Fox 5 News

Raffle Time :-)


xoxo

P.S. 48 Principal For A Day

On Thursday May 19th I had a fun filled day of appearances that started at 8:00am and ended at 11:00pm . . . what a day, but a sensational one at that ! 

P.S. 48, Principal For A Day 

Principal of P. S. 48 :-)

When I became Miss Brooklyn one of the first appearances that came my way was Principal For A Day at my alma mater P.S. 48, "the school that rules!" I had to wait until May 19th to finally take my place in the principals chair, but boy was it worth the wait.  The students, the faculty and the staff were all so kind and welcomed me with open arms.  The day started at an assembly with the younger grades followed by another with the 3rd, 4th & 5th Graders.  The students greeted me with a fabulous song they wrote for me (which was such a special surprise), . . . "welcome to P.S. 48, Christina Moore, Miss Brooooooklyn." Following the chorus performance was a wonderful presentation by the band.  I was blown away by how talented all of these children were, from the vocals to the instruments, they were all sensational.  The students proceeded to present me with an official certificate and a "rising star" that is now hanging in my room<3 There generosity and sincere support was unbelievable.  As a special surprise for the school, my 4th Grade Performers With A Purpose, performed their dance "I'm A Believer" for their fellow classmates and had the whole school dancing along !!!! 

My 4th Grade Performers With A Purpose

I was able to speak about my involvement at P.S. 48 as well as my experiences there when I was a student.  Each class had the opportunity to ask me a few questions, which I was more than happy to answer (it was actually great interview prep lol, because everyone even down to the kindergarten students asked terrific questions.)  Although I enjoyed the entire day, the part that moved me the most was a beautiful song they sang called "Our Wish!" It was so sweet and so genuine that it brought me to tears.  It is amazing to me that I once stood on the stage of P.S. 48 and to return back as Miss Brooklyn and as someone who is living out a childhood dream I didn't even know I had, is surreal.

  

4th & 5th Grade Chorus

Assistant Principal Ms. Zabala & Principal Ms. Picucci

Ms. Laviano (my 4th Grade Teacher), Mrs. Carver (my 5th grade teacher)
& Mrs. McFarland (my 3rd Grade Teacher) 

5th Graders 

I sat there and remembered my memories at P.S. 48, the teachers who are now my friends and the students that I grew up with who are now like family to me.  Out of all of the amazing memories there one memory I will never forget is my 5th grade graduation when I stood on the stage and sang the song "I Hope You Dance!" I didn't know it then, but that song has come to have so much meaning in my life.  Everything has come full circle for me this year, and when I thought I had lost the joy of dance this entire year as Miss Brooklyn has given me back that gift and has allowed me to share it with others.  I have learned so much about myself as a teacher, as a student, and as a person and have seen first hand the impact you can have on others by simply being yourself.  These students as well as those from P.S. 112 & I. S. 187 have brought so much joy to my life and seeing them succeed and want to help spread awareness about sarcoma has been the most gratifying experience of my life.  

I want to thank Principal Picucci (whose was the principal when I was there :-) Parent Coordinator, Judy Magenta and Assistant Principal Ms. Zabala for giving me this wonderful opportunity <3

Principal For A Day :-)
*Little fun fact . . . I am the fourth generation in my family
to graduate from P.S. 48. My great grandmother, my grandmother,
my mother and I all graduated for good old 48!

xoxo