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Millersville University (MU) is dancing the night away as a benefit for Excentia’s S. June Smith Center. Be The Change, a dance benefit performance for children with developmental needs, will be held on Saturday, April 2 at 7 p.m. in Clair Performance Hall at the Winter Visual and Performing Arts Center.
“We deeply appreciate our experiential learning partnership with Excentia’s S. June Smith Center and we are grateful for the opportunities they consistently provide each year to our student volunteers and interns,” said Melissa Wardwell, director of Experiential Learning and Career Management (ELCM). “These kinds of interactions and experiences are especially meaningful to our students and help with the development of their professional skills and career-readiness competencies.”
ELCM, Alpha Sigma Alpha and Encore Dance Center are working together to support therapeutic and educational services for children with developmental needs and to promote the full inclusion of individuals with disabilities in our arts community. All proceeds from the event will be donated to Excentia’s S. June Smith Center in Lancaster.
“Being a part of ‘Be the Change’ is one of the greatest experiences I have had the privilege of throughout my time in Alpha Sigma Alpha. It’s such a great feeling to know I’m helping children in need and nothing makes me feel more honored to do what I do than the smile I see on the children’s faces at these events and when visiting the S. June Smith Center,” said MU junior Amanda Pezick, president of Alpha Sigma Alpha. “’Be the Change’ is an amazing event that allows Alpha Sigma Alpha to make a difference in the lives of our youth and we couldn’t be more honored to be a part of this journey”
In the fall semester, more than a dozen students from Alpha Sigma Alpha and Encore Dance Center volunteered at the S. June Smith School in Ephrata, assisting the teachers and interacting with the children and families to learn more about their needs and the mission of Excentia.
“This is my first year participating in the event and from what I’ve heard it’s an amazing one. Working with the S. June Smith center means a lot to me because I know that we are making a difference by helping out, whether that be big or small,” said MU freshman Lexis Lipko, newly inducted member of Alpha Sigma Alpha. “By supporting the S. June Smith Center, children are getting the developmental services they need to live a happier and fulfilled life just like everyone else. We all deserve to succeed to our fullest potential and the S. June Smith center is helping individuals do just that.”
More than 70 MU student performers from Expressions, F.U.S.I.O.N., Footprints, the MU dance team, and the Marauder Men’s Glee Club will perform, in addition to 50 local dancers from Encore Dance Center, college-level dancers from DeSales University and professional dancers from NetCo Dance Company. Children who have benefitted from S. June Smith Center’s program will be featured performers in the show’s finale number.
The mission of Excentia is to provide necessary support to enable people with developmental needs to live as independently and fully as they desire within the community. Excentia’s S. June Smith Center is an early childhood intervention program for children with developmental needs and is also the national philanthropy for Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority.
