Happy Monday, everyone! How is it already the end of April? In one week, we’ll have our 2nd annual prom fundraiser, Old Hollywood, at Sutra Lounge in midtown. It’s our biggest fundraiser of the year, and we’ll have drink specials, music from Dubsmash, a photo booth from LeahAndMark.com, and a red carpet. As if that’s not exciting enough, we’ll also have a raffle with fabulous prizes like a night at the W hotel, 2 tickets to the New Kids on the Block/Backstreet Boys show, 8 classes at Dance101, and weekend cabin stay in Blue Ridge, GA. Wish we could enter! Remember, it’s in one week, on Friday May 6 from 8-11pm.
In other news, we want to say thanks to our friends from Sanctuary Real Estate, Dashboard Co-Op, and WonderRoot for supporting us and spreading the word about our baby organization. Sanctuary, one of our early supporters, recently had their 3rd annual Share the Love benefit concert, a 70s-inspired music event that raises money for local charities. Every year, Sanctuary chooses three nonprofits to support, and we at Athena’s Warehouse have been lucky enough to be recipients not once but twice (first in 2009 and again this year). The concert was held at Eddie’s Attic and headlined by 70s cover band The Susi French Connection, and boy, what a turnout we had. The place was packed with people dressed in bell bottoms, vests, love beads, crazy wigs, peace signs, and go-go-boots—no joking around with this crowd! Altogether Sanctuary raised more than $2,400, to be distributed among Athena’s Warehouse, along with Atlanta Pet Rescue and Georgia Organics, two other worthy causes in Atlanta.
We’re also lucky to know the good people from Dashboard Co-Op and WonderRoot, two local nonprofits dedicated to art and community. Dashboard focuses on free promotion and professional development to artists of any medium, offering Atlanta artists free exhibitions, workshops, and consultations. Like Athena’s, Dashboard was founded by women—that would be Beth Malone and Courtney Hammond, who wanted to give artists a free, easy way to “show off work that deserves to be seen.” WonderRoot, which was formed in 2004, is committed to uniting artists and community to inspire positive social change. Last weekend, WonderRoot and Dashboard teamed up to raise money for Athena’s at an informal BBQ held in Beth’s own backyard. She and Chris, one of the founders of WonderRoot, cooked up a storm: barbecue tofu, corn on the cob, black-eyed peas, collard greens, cornbread, the works. In addition to good food, we had good company. We had the chance to socialize with some pretty great people outside the Athena’s Warehouse circle, and we’re both humbled by and thankful for their support. Because when you get right down to it, we depend on people like Sanctuary, Dashboard, and WonderRoot, people who are willing to take a chance on us. So thank you, all of you, who support us and allow us to do what we do.
