The Felix Organization will celebrate its eleventh birthday and Foster Care Awareness Month with “Dance This Way”, a Dance-a-thon inspired Fundraiser, on May 7.
Co-founded by Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and one the pioneers of Hip Hop culture and co-founding member of “Run DMC” Darryl "DMC" McDaniels and Emmy-award winning casting director, Sheila Jaffe, (HBO’s The Sopranos and Entourage and films including The Fighter, Rocky Balboa, and Ted.)
The Felix Organization’s mission is to enrich the lives of children growing up in the foster care system. The event will honor James Wahlberg for the work he has done as executive director of the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation.
Founders McDaniels and Jaffe, both adopted, were introduced eleven years ago and what resulted, according to Jaffe, were “the most meaningful roles of both their careers.” They instantly bonded and committed to create a charity that would benefit children who weren’t as fortunate as they were, children who did not get taken home. Within weeks of their chance encounter, The Felix Organization’s seed was planted and by that summer, the first wave of children were treated to its signature program, Camp Felix, a summer camp in upstate New York specifically designed for underserved foster children.
Since 2006, Camp Felix has expanded from two weeks to four weeks and has served more 1,000 inner-city New York children from ages eight to thirteen. A second camp in Los Angeles, Camp Felix West was formed in 2011. Felix also mentors and helps youth throughout the year with programs intended to provide positive experiences and opportunities to set them on a path to successful lives.
It was destiny and purpose that brought them together and, as McDaniels explains, “Sheila and I had a dream 11 years ago. And now we are amazed and humbled how that dream has turned into a reality. I want these kids to understand that there is no one more special than them in this world.”
“Dance This Way” is Felix’s signature fundraiser that will ’rock around the clock" with doors opening at 1:00PM on Sunday, May 7. McDaniels and Jaffe will host the three-hour, non-stop Dance through the Decades that will feature a roster of talented artists from Broadway to Hollywood to Hollis, Queens. Broadway Veteran Donnie Kehr will direct the onstage show. Andrea Dora from Motown the Musical will also perform.
Felix has been encouraged and continuously supported by many celebrity friends, some of whom are featured in PSA’s to motivate the dancers to fundraise. They include: Mark Wahlberg, Billy Joel, Sting, Alan Cumming, Julie Chen, Ray Liotta, and Lorraine Bracco.
For more information about The Felix Organization’s “Dance This Way” and/or to sign up a team, buy tickets or donate: www.dancethisway.org or email: Info@thefelixorganization.org.
