November-December 2015--FEPE, NOYSE, e-NABLE, and Festiva #3

The final two months of 2015 were loaded with activity. Sticking Up For Children hosted events and guests and was blessed with new friends and allies. 2016 is looking like a year of big steps forward and outward!

DONIS and EMILY with their drumsticks-as-art at the Music & Arts Day of October 24, 2015

We had our concluding Music & Arts Day of 2015 at the Ashé Cultural Arts Center on Saturday, October 15. As you can see, more art arose, to be gripped firmly in its creators; hands. Donis and Emily are students of Cole Williams' and they also drummed with Cole and the great Alfred Roberts.

In mid-November Maryse and I met Jon Schull, a co-director of the e-NABLE organization that has within the past 30 months produced more than 2000 3D-printed proshetic hands for children around the world. Jon was in New Orleans as keynote speaker for a bio-technology conference. He and colleagues at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Upstate New York have enlisted more than 6800 3D-printing "makers" as their all-volunteer source for free prosthetics. Jon's interview with Maryse over WWOZ on November 16 can be heard through clicking on the buton at stickingupforchildren.com. Jon excels at telling the e-NABLE story. He loves what they do.

As it happens, e-NABLE began a project in Jeremie, Haiti this year. We expect to collaborate with e-NABLE, FEPE, and College Canapé-Vert in Port-au-Prince during 2016!

Sticking Up For Children's third annual Festiva grew in several respects beyond our prior years. Our multi-course Dinner was of dishes from the Little Gem Saloon, Lola's Spanish Restaurant, and 1000 Figs. Our dessert was a Berry Chanilly Cake from Whole Food Market. We had wines from Second Vine Wines and beers from Bayour Teche Brewing. We were blessed!

WWOZ show-host Breaux Bridges (Rick Wilkof) gave us a richly detailed history and appreciation of the great New Orleans-born drummer and composer Idris Muhammad We had a Concert of songs and poems with the Rivers of Dreams band. The night finished with propulsive dance-music from the Cole Willims Band.

Sticking Up For Children has dozens of supporters to thank.