1999 AMC Benefit Special Guest & motivational speaker Bonnie St. John Deanne visits with DeLaSalle Education Center students at the Koberts Campus.

It isn't every day that going out for an evening of fun can be a life-changing experience, but that's exactly what will happen again this year on November 9, when hundreds gather at the Midland Theatre for the tenth anniversary of a major entertainment event. It's not to watch a play or a dance company perform, but to celebrate a performance of another kind…that of a non-traditional school in the heart of Kansas City.

For thirty years, DeLaSalle Education Center (DeLaSalle) has provided a quality education to Kansas City youth who have been unable to succeed in traditional schools. Its vital programs provide opportunities for success to a critically underserved segment of our community. The Kansas City dropout rate has been reported to be as high as 50 percent. As a result, there are as many as 5,000 youth who are out of school at any time in our community.

DeLaSalle is a private, tuition-free school that is uniquely designed to attract these youth back to the classroom. Nearly all of the students served at DeLaSalle's main campus reside in Kansas City's inner city, with many living in our highest crime rate areas. The majority of these students come from single-parent homes. Eighty-five percent of the students qualify for free or reduced lunches, demonstrating the high poverty level of the student body. Unfortunately, it is also not unusual for incoming

DeLaSalle students to test several grades below their expected grade level in math and language skills. DeLaSalle offers small class and school size, with intensive counseling support, to personalize the schooling process for these at-risk young people. The Center's academic programs are demanding, and require students to demonstrate specified reading and academic accomplishments in order to graduate.

DeLaSalle also offers unique programs, such as its nationally accredited early childhood education center (PACES-Parent And Child Education Support) for infants and toddlers of students attending DeLaSalle. This highly successful program has been recognized nationally and has served as a model for similar schools. Parents read to their children within the intensively structured environment of PACES, to emphasize the importance of literacy. Parenting skills are also taught and the program has been credited with dramatic increases in student retention at the school.

Almost half of DeLaSalle's funding is from private sources, which is why events such as the upcoming The AMC Movie Benefit for DeLaSalle are so important to the livelihood of its programs. Every year for the past decade, AMC Entertainment has helped raise a cumulative $1.7 million for DeLaSalle. The event boasts an amazing array of food and libations donated from leading restaurants and caterers throughout the Kansas City area. The festive evening of food and good cheer is topped-off by a movie on the big screen in the historic Midland Theatre.

Traditionally, this movie is a previously unreleased Hollywood film, the title of which is a secret right up until the curtain rises. This year, in celebration of the event's tenth anniversary and in recognition of our honorary event chairs, Adele and Don Hall (Chairman of Hallmark), the movie will be a sneak preview of an outstanding new Hallmark Hall of Fame film, to be released later this year. In addition, special guest stars always make an appearance, and this year will be no exception.

In celebration of DeLaSalle's 30th anniversary, our goal is to surpass previous years in both attendance and dollars raised for this event. It is a guaranteed good time and more importantly, a great cause. For more information, please contact Stacy Mayer (816) 561-4445, ext 232. The ticket you purchase could help change a life!