Grenoldo Frazier, Wilmington native and renowned composer, actor and performer, will open the Cape Fear Literacy Council’s Casablanca Gala on Saturday, March 3. The fundraising event’s Casablanca theme will come alive as Frazier and his piano carry the crowd back to the 1940s in incomparable style.

The CFLC Casablanca Gala is the organization’s largest annual fundraiser, and is Saturday, March 3 at the Air Wilmington Hangar at ILM, beginning at 6:30 PM. In addition to Grenoldo Frazier’s opening performance, activities include a buffet dinner, open bar, coffee/dessert, vocal and silent auction, casino-like games, dancing to Blivet, and a photo booth.

“We are so excited to have Grenoldo as our special guest to open this year’s Gala,” said Linda Lytvinenko, CFLC Executive Director. “Having a performer of his caliber share his talents with us is just an incredible gift. Our guests will be getting an unbelievable treat to start their evening!”

Fraizer is known for his breadth and depth of musical and performing abilities. “He can play anything that’s ever been written, and his real ability is the fact that he creates true theater out of the simple elements of a man and a piano,” said Scott Simpson of WHQR in 2005. The Louisville, Kentucky paper, Leo Weekly, said, “He teases, pounds, seduces and cajoles his piano like a man in the midst of a religious conversion.” Other adjectives used to describe Frazier and his considerable talent include: “music phenomenon,” “outstanding,” “crazy good,” and “the real deal.”

Frazier’s career has been phenomenal, from Broadway to television to movies, across the US and in Europe. He arrived in New York City in 1972 as a pianist for touring shows, Journey Into Blackness?and Harlem Heyday, actor/musician featured on Broadway and national tours of Hello, Dolly!, and award-winning composers and musical director of Your Arms Are Too Short to Box With God. He was composer and musical director of the longest running gospel musical, Mama I Want to Sing, one of Time magazine’s 10 best musicals of 1984. He has played Duke Ellington, Otis Redding and the voice of a Sesame Street Muppet. He toured Europe as a singer/dancer and was pianist/singer at Windowns-on-the-World. He has been artist-in-residence at NC State University, Harvard Divinity School, and Penn State/Harrisburg.

“Grenoldo Frazier is a superb example of how the community has gotten involved with our Gala fundraiser, “said Rachel LaCoe, CFLC Community Outreach Coordinator. “Alan Perry of Perry’s Emporium is our auctioneer, and Craig & Sheila from Sunny 104.5 FM are our emcees. We’ve received support from L&L Party & Tent Rental, PPD, Delaney Radiology, Clancy & Theys, Harris Teeter, The Edge Createive, the Oleander Company, Costco, WWAY TV 3, WHQR 91.3, KidsVille Magazine/Livin’ Out Loud, Wilmington Business Journal, Wilma, United Way/StarNews Media, Port City Java, Fairway Outdoor Advertising, FilmWerks, Gypsy Grips, Land Rover and Air Wilmington.”

Casablanca Gala tickets are $100 or $175 for a pair; reserved tables of 8 are $700. Tickets must be purchased in advance. Visit the event website or call 251-0911 for information or tickets.

Please call 910-251-0911 for ticket information.

The Cape Fear Literacy Council cordially invites you to the Casablanca Gala 2012

Saturday, March 3 at 6:30 PM

The Hangar at Air Wilmington

Enjoy a fabulous evening of dinner, cocktails, a Moroccan bazaar silent auction, vocal auction, live music by Blivet, casino-like games and special guest Grenoldo Frazier opening the evening.

Tickets are $100 each, $175 a pair and reserved tables of 8 are available for $700.

View our event website by?clicking here.

Preferred attire: Classic 1940′s or black tie

Proceeds will benefit The Cape Fear Literacy Council

Sunny 104.5 will be broadcasting live! ?The Wilmington Food Truck Association, Ms. Cheesy, Unami, Catch, and Sweet Bliss will be onsite during the yard sale to sell their delicious food! In addition, Affirmations Massage Wellness will offer chair massages.

There are many ways you can help with this fundraiser in addition to shoping at our sale:

Volunteer: Invest your time for literacy!

* Friday, January 13, 2012: Volunteers needed to help organize and price items.

Times (2 shifts): 9 AM – 2 PM and 12 PM – 3 PM.

* Saturday, January 14, 2012: Volunteers needed to help set up and/or break down tables.

Times: 6:30 AM to 8 AM and 1 PM to 3 PM

Donate: Give items to CFLC to raise funds for literacy!

CFLC will gladly accept donated items to help make this yard sale a success. If you, your friends, family, or neighbors have anything to donate for the sale, please contact bwolf-bowen@cfliteracy.org to arrange a drop-off time.

There are a few restrictions, so please call if you have any questions.

Participate: Sell your own items and keep the money!

If you would like to sell your own items, you can purchase a space with a table.

There is a $10 donation fee for space and $15 for space and a table. After January 5th, space will be a $20 donation fee and $25 for space and a table.

Spots will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. Due to limited space, we are unable to store your items. Be sure to come early the day of the sale (between 6:30 AM and 7:30 AM) and remember to take away any unsold items after the sale.

Stop by and shop! There will be some great items for sale, delicious food, and hopefully great weather!

If you would like to reserve a spot or have any questions, please call or email Barie Wolf-Bowen bwolf-bowen@cfliteracy.org, 910-251-0911. Thank you!

CFLC has had an amazing 2011!

• Our grant revenues are 16% more than we budgeted.
• Our fundraisers have all been profitable.
• Our contribution income is ahead of budget.

But…due to the tight economy, we have $60,000 in unfulfilled pledges. This is not good.

We are asking for your help as we work to plug that $60,000 hole. Between November 1 and December 31, we are “pedal-to-the-metal” with our “$60K in 60 days” campaign.

We hope you will join and do whatever you can to help us plug the hole and end the year in good form.

We want to start 2012 looking forward and building momentum, not looking back and trying to cover a 2011 shortfall. THANK YOU!

Our $60k in 60 days Campaign Update 11/23/2011

Creative ways YOU can get involved

WOW! What a great start to this exciting campaign. We have had an overwhelming response and some very unique donations. Thank you for your on-going support!

Our story of the week goes to a non-instructional volunteer, John. John is already a LiteracyTrust 100 donor but he wanted to find another way to support CFLC. He learned from IBM’s HR department that he had volunteered enough hours to be eligible to apply for a Community Grant program, John successfully secured a $1,000 Community Grant!

Do you work for a major corporation?

Your?company may offer matching gifts or volunteer incentive grants. Here are a few corporations we know of that do:

• GE will match donations of $25 or more. Learn more at the GE Matching Gifts website.
• IBM has both community grants and matching gifts program which encourages employees not only to give their money, but their time as well. For more information about community grants, donations to organizations for employees that donate 40 hours over a 5 month period, read IBM’s 2010 Corporate Responsibility Report.
• Verizon Wireless offers has the Verizon Volunteer Program. U.S.-based Verizon employees that journal 50 or more hours this calendar year with the same non-profit organization can apply for a $750 grant for that organization. Learn more ways Verizon employees can make a difference.

Do you work for or own a small business? Last week we presented several ways small businesses can be involved:

• Harmony Yoga hosted an “Open House” event in September. Proceeds from the raffles and donations benefited CFLC.
• In August, Mod Fashion and Accessories had a fashion party and donated ticket proceeds to CFLC.

Individuals can be creative, too! Another opportunity for individuals to get involved is to host an open house. A group in Porter’s Neck held a wine and cheese party at a neighbor’s home to raise funds for their 2011 Spelling Bee for Literacy team. It’s a great time of year to host a get-together.

If you have already donated to us, thank you!

To donate:

Credit Card – call 910.251.0911 or click on the “donate now” button

Check or cash – 1012 S. 17th St., Wilmington, NC 28401

By Si Cantwell, Published Sunday, November 20, 2011

James had a boss who called him “illiterate.” First he got mad…then he got help.

James J. Walton’s boss called him an illiterate idiot. Walton, who had been doing plumbing work for more than 27 years, knew more about the trade than most people he worked for. Yet he had been limited to the lowest job in the hierarchy because he could not read.

Two decades had passed since his last attempt to improve his reading, interrupted by the overwhelming child care responsibilities of a single father. As far back as the fourth grade, Walton remembered, he’d had a problem, but they just passed him up to the next grade, even when he had straight Fs.

He felt like hitting his boss with a shovel. Instead, Walton decided to try again. “You have to be able first to put pride aside,” he said, dark green copper-stained hands fingering his textbook. “Once you do, everything is possible.” Five years later, Walton earned his journeyman’s card. Now he works by himself and can supervise others, who, he said, he would not degrade in the way that boss did.

Walton and his tutor, Bill Dungan, meet twice a week and have for 9 years. Walton turned out to be Dungan’s first and only student. It’s a commitment and friendship and true partnership.

“One of my goals was to get my plumber’s license. I had to learn to read the code book before I could pass the test, which I did,” Walton said. It was a three-hour written exam. “It’s not in plain English, I might add.” Dungan said.

Walton continues to move toward his next goal, to get his General Educational Development (GED) credential, certifying equivalency of a high school education. Until he does, some doors are still closed to him.

Walton’s father is an example of how reading problems can change a life. A welder for more than 40 years, John S. Walton passed up a promotion to teach welding at the shipyard in Newport News, VA, mainly for that reason. “He quit and he came down here and went to work on construction. Just because he didn’t know how to read,” Walton said. His father died two weeks before he could see his son pass the journeyman’s test. “One thing I do regret a little bit is that I didn’t get a chance to pass my test and to show my dad my card before he passed away,” Walton said.

New readers wow crowd with “Readers’ Theater”

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) – A group of five women brought down the house with their rendition of “The House on Mango Street” Friday afternoon in Wilmington.

The The Cape Fear Literacy Council held a luncheon featuring adult literacy students’ “Readers’ Theatre.”

The fundraiser was held at the Lee Parish Hall of St. James Parish on Dock between 3rd and 4th Streets. Supporters of the The Cape Fear Literacy Council enjoyed lunch before watching and listening to Readers’ Theater.

Members of the Readers’ Theater meet twice a week for several months at a time to read and discuss various material and work on confidence and public speaking skills. Then they perform by reading aloud in front of audiences around the Port City.

On Friday, the women read parts of the Sandra Cisneros book with plenty of expression, enthusiasm, and talent.

What may have impressed the audience most is the fact that all of the women are new readers. They all came to CFLC to improve their reading skills or begin to read for the first time. Now, it’s impossible to tell they haven’t been lifelong readers.

After the performance, which got a standing ovation, the women said they only hope their success will encourage other adults to come forward and learn how to read, because it’s never too late.

To learn more about Readers’ Theater or the The Cape Fear Literacy Council, click here or call 910-251-0911.

In Mookie’s Own Words:

“I came to CFLC because I had lost faith in the traditional GED system. I felt like I was slipping between the cracks. I had a vendetta against math. I was very frustrated. But I want to be more productive in life, set a better example for my kids.

 

I was able to learn math because of Ms. Brenda. She gave me extra confidence and self-assurance. She taught me to be patient and not be too hard on myself. She also let me know I can’t give up without a fight.

 

I’ve been out of school since the 7^th grade. This is not the first time I’ve tried to overcome my academic obstacles. My lack of schooling made me feel like I couldn’t be anything. But Ms. Brenda connected with me. She gained my trust and I gained hers. It was important to me that someone from a totally opposite world is able to have an open mind about you. I never felt judged or stereotyped. We learn from each other.

 

I go out of my way to do math homework on my own. Now, I’m able to help my kids with their school work. That’s important.

 

Had it not been for her, I wouldn’t have voted. I never voted before. She was adamant about it. She helped me register. I stood in line for 3-4 hours. Me and my wife went and we had a great day. …For the first time I voted — like a productive citizen.

 

Since I’ve been coming to the Literacy Council, my goals have transformed and elevated. My short-term goal is to learn a trade to take care of my family. Then I’ll get my Associate’s degree. Some day, I would like to be a journalist or make movies. Those are goals I didn’t have before I came here.

 

The thing that sets the Literacy Council apart from anyone else is the genuine concern they feel for each individual.”