PinkCricket Host 1st Annual Arts & Culture Hop and Camp-a-Thon 6/5-6

The new youth arts center in downtown St. Petersburg, The PinkCricket Center for Arts Education, has decided to take a different approach to summer camp and spend the month of May raising funds to provide at least twenty full scholarships for their first summer camp through their first annual Arts and Culture Hop and Camp-a-Thon.

"As we have we have been taking registrations for summer camp, we have talked to a lot of families that are really struggling and just aren't able to afford summer camp. With the main focus of our mission being to provide youth with equal access to the arts, we felt we had to find some way to provide families in need with a way to have their children attend camp," said Sara Turner, Executive Director. "So, we are very excited about the Arts & Culture Hop and Camp-a-Thon, as they will encourage families to become engaged in the St. Petersburg arts and culture scene while raising money for much needed scholarships."

The Camp-a-Thon is a competition open to anyone in the community wanting to help raise money for the scholarships. Twenty teams with ten members each will compete throughout the month of May and at the Camp-a-Thon itself on June 5-6 to raise the most funds and earn the most points. Each team will represent a child in need of a summer camp scholarship and will be challenged to raise at least $1,000 throughout the month through donations and fundraisers. They will earn points by attending Arts & Culture Hop events and participating in fun Camp-a-Thon events, such as a family field day and a lip-sync competition. All twenty teams will participate in a final event from 12pm on June 5 until 9am on June 6, a lock-in at the new PinkCricket location, The lock-in will follow the ribbon cutting ceremony and Grand Opening at the new PinkCricket building at 435 Central Avenue, Suite 100. During the lock in, the teams will continue to earn points by participating in contests, games, and arts workshops throughout the night. The teams with the highest combination of funds raised and points earned will be the 2010 Camp-a-Thon champions and win arts & culture related prizes.

The Arts & Culture Hop will take place throughout the month of May. The PinkCricket will provide a calendar of events that will include everything from gallery exhibition openings to concerts to baseball games. Families and individuals will be encouraged to attend these events, as well as shop at local businesses and dine at local restaurants, to earn points throughout the month. Teams competing in the Camp-a-Thon will use the points towards winning the Camp-a-Thon. Individuals not competing in the Camp-a-Thon can still compete to win prizes by submitting proof of participating in the Arts & Culture Hop.

"The idea is to get individuals and families involved in the downtown St. Petersburg arts and culture scene. There are so many exciting things happening right now and we want to get more people involved," said Turner. "This event is unique as it promotes the growing downtown arts scene and helps provide youth with even more access to the arts by providing them with scholarships."

Families in need of summer camp scholarships are invited to apply to be a sponsored family by downloading an application on The PinkCricket website or picking up an application at The PinkCricket. The PinkCricket will be finding teams to sponsor twenty children with summer camp scholarships. While only twenty children will be guaranteed a full scholarship, any funds raised beyond the initial amount needed for the twenty scholarships will be used to provide partialscholarships and allow families to pay as little as $25 per week for summer camp. The deadline to apply to be a sponsored family is Friday, April 30 at 6:00pm. Applications will continue to be reviewed after the deadline for additional partial scholarships. Families must be able to demonstrate financial need.

Individuals interested in forming a team and competing in the Camp-a-Thon can download an application from The PinkCricket website or pick one up at The PinkCricket. More information about the competition and events can be found on The PinkCricket's website. Teams are encouraged to register early to ensure a spot and get the lowest registration fee.

The PinkCricket will host several information sessions about the scholarships, the Arts & Culture Hop, and the Camp-a-Thon at The PinkCricket on Monday, April 26, and Wendesday, April 28. Both sessions will be from 6:00-7:00 p.m.

The PinkCricket's mission is to promote youth participation in the arts and the arts community; supports creativity and individuality; facilitate community involvement in arts education; and reward achievements in the arts. The youth arts center currently provides an after school arts program, Arts in the Afternoon; a weekly Kids' Night Out program; and camps.

Please call The PinkCricket at (727) 565-6797 or go to www.thepinkcricket.org for more information and to download an application.

The PinkCricket Center for Arts Education is located at 534 Central Avenue in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg, Florida.