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SUNNY DAYS

Sesame Street Live and VEE Corporation are proud to cele-brate 30 seasons and 100th tour in Kansas City this January with the "1-2-3 Imagine! With Elmo and Friends" show. Each Sesame Street Live production features timeless lessons for all ages. The Sprint Center is the place to be in order to let your imagination run free. Catch one of the eight performances set to take place Thursday January 28th thru Sunday January 21st. Tickets for the shows go on sale Monday, December 14 at 10 a.m.

TRIBUTE TO TAP

The Carlsen Center and Yardley Hall will be hosting a tribute to the spirit and talent of Gregory Hines on January 16th at 8:00 p.m. The performance, which pays homage to the genre of tap dancing, honors some of the best tap dancers alive today, as well as legends from the past. The cast is headed up by Hines' brother Maurice Hines as well as Jason Samuels Smith. For more information and reservations, visit www.jccc.edu.

TOP 10 HONORS

With its commitment to using technology to help further academic success and unparalleled growth for every student, Blue Valley has once again been recognized as one of the top 10 Digital School Districts in the nation. Based on a national survey conducted in 2009, Blue Valley tied for eighth place among large districts. The honor has been announced by e.Republic's Center for Digital Education, the National School Boards Association, and Converge Online magazine. With the purpose to showcase commendable school districts for their use of technology, the survey evaluates the ability to govern the district, communication with students, parents and the community as well as improvements to district operations. This is the third time that Blue Valley has been recognized by the Digital Schools Survey in the last five years. 

MAGICIANS OF BASKETBALL®

Having "played more than 25,000 games and entertained everyone from Presidents to Popes," only one phrase can truly capture their greatness, and that is, Magicians of Basketball®. Known for pulling off spectacular performances enjoyed by young and old alike, the Harlem Globetrotters have been mesmerizing audiences around the world for 84 years. Recently two Globetrotters, "Flight Time" Lang and "Big Easy" Lofton were cast on and competed in "The Amazing Race," on CBS. Even though they were not crowned winners, the two admitted they would remain committed to their friendship because that's what teammates do. Scheduled to return to Kansas City on January 2nd, the Globetrotters will perform at the Sprint Center at both 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Be a part of all the excitement and purchase your tickets for the event today! 

 36th ANNUAL SNOW BALL CATHOLIC CHARITIES

The Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas serves families in 21 counties through programs including Emergency Assistance and Case Management to Early Child Care and Education. The goal of Catholic Charities is to offer help and hope and to move the families from a situation of poverty and anxiety to one of self-sufficiency and stability. As one of their fundraising initiatives, Catholic Charities will host its 36th Annual Snow Ball on January 16th, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Crown Center Exhibition Hall at the Hyatt Regency. The evening will begin with a cocktail reception and formal dinner, followed by dancing. Entertainment for the evening includes The Boulevard Band and the Karen Davis Project. This black-tie gala is a fundraising event of which proceeds help support programs and services for the more than 85,000 people in need living in Northeast Kansas. 

MARINES TOYS FOR TOTS

Since 1991 the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation has supported the Toys for Tots program and its fundraising efforts in support for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program. The mission of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted. From November 27th through December 19th, the National Archives at Kansas City collected new and unwrapped toys in benefit of the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots program. The public was invited to drop off toy donations at the National Archives at Kansas City, located at 400 West Pershing Road in Kansas City, MO. 

U.S. CONSTITUTION DAY

With the integration of Constitution Day into public school curricula beginning back in 2005, the GovDoc Kids Group, comprised of librarians, came up with a poster contest as a promotional tool to get students involved. The objectives of the project areto promote government information in order to engage K-12 students in learning about history, culture, science, and government through games and interactive activities. The Third Annual GovDoc Kids Group Constitution Day Poster Contest conducted this year recognized three winners from the Kansas City Area. To commemorate the three students, a special Kansas City Awards Ceremony was held on December 12th at the National Archives at Kansas City. U.S. Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II, from Missouri's 5th District was present at the ceremony and personally awarded the winners. Each winner received two copies of his or her poster and a certificate for art classes at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. The first 100 students who submitted entries were also recognized and received a pocket-sized guide to the constitution. 

CELEBRATING WOMENS SPORTS

The Women's Intersport Network for Kansas City (WIN) will feature the legendary Billie Jean King as the keynote speaker at the 2010 Women's Sports Awards Celebration presented by Bank of America. This annual event designed to empower, inspire and celebrate, will be held at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center on Friday, February 5th from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. All Kansas City metro area female high school state champions are invited to attend the celebration honoring King's achievements as well as the great accomplishments of six outstanding women in our community. For more information visit www.sportkc.org or email Patti Phillips at pphillips@sportkc.org