By Chandra Krug, 7th Street Dance Studio Administrator
When Lori Davis purchased the 7th Street Dance Studio in 2018, one of the things she wanted to really do was to donate all proceeds for the Christmas recitals to other organizations. December 20, 2021 was no exception and she was able to donate $3,000 to CAPstone in Alliance.
On Wednesday, January 12, Monica Shambaugh, Executive Director, and Isabella Irish, Family Advocate came to the dance studio to be presented with the check. They gave the dancers some information about CAPstone and how it came about.
The CAPstone Child Advocacy Center was started in Scottsbluff in December 2000. They cover the 11 counties in the Panhandle and assist law enforcement & child protective services with their cases.
At the center, they have specifically trained Forensic Interviewers who interview young people between the ages of 3 and 18. These young people may have alleged serious physical abuse or neglect, sexual abuse, they may have been witness to a violent crime, been recovered in a kidnapping or been in a drug endangered environment.
In 2008, CAPstone opened their first satellite office in Chadron and in 2009 & 2010 they opened offices in Sidney and Alliance. Their office space in Alliance is donated to CAPstone by Box Butte General Hospital.
In 2020, CAPstone completed 540 interviews, in 2020, 474 interviews, and in 2021, 520 interviews. In Alliance during this time frame, they averaged 85 interviews a year.
The money raised by 7th Street Dance Studio will be used for the Alliance office upkeep to include purchasing journals, blankets, stuffed animals and other supplies for the young people they see at their center.
A note from Lori:
I want to thank my dance families for the support of this Christmas recital. It’s hard to get the kids from one Christmas activity to another in December, so I definitely understand the struggle. However, I love to give my students the opportunity to have two big public performances every year. Thanks to Covid, I haven’t been able to do that, but we have had at least one every year since I have owned the dance studio.
This is my 3rd Christmas recital and without a doubt, it just gets better every year! I love to teach these kids the art of dancing and performing, but I’m truly proud to be able to teach them that each and every one of them, no matter how big or small, can make a difference. Because we rise by lifting others, I want to create a place where dancers can not only train physically, but also train mentally and emotionally grow as a whole person and not just dance. I want to have a place where they aren’t just dancing for perfection. I want to focus on how dance can make them happy and healthy. It’s about empowering them to use their inner gifts to bring hope and healing to their friends, family, and the community.