Lisa Desatnik
Miss Junior Teen Ohio, Jessica Waters, Has Can DO Attitude
On May 18, 2008, just days before Jessica Waters was to become 12, got the news that would rock her world. Finally, the trouble she was having with focusing and remembering in school was given a name. Jessica became one of the estimated 2.5 million America
ns diagnosed with Epilepsy, a disease of the central nervous system.
Suddenly, this young girl who liked to think of herself as the ‘tough kid’ was fighting the battle of her life. In her teenage years she has experienced three kinds of seizures including seven grand mal seizures. And her medicine altered her personality. Jessica was told she could no longer ride her bike and coaches no longer wanted her on their sports teams. She was asked not to attend parties. She was told she would never be able to dance, tumble or cheer again – her great passions. She was harassed and bullied.
It was a summer camp, Camp Flamecatcher for children with epilepsy and other disabilities, where Jessica came to realize she CAN still swim, canoe, run, swing, and do arts and crafts. And, she saw other kids doing those things too.
“It really opened my eyes,” she said. “Kids don’t realize how much they can do. Camp taught me that epilepsy wasn’t a defining factor in my life.”
But that experience wouldn’t have been possible for her without a sponsor. It is a gift that she is paying forward. She founded Cupcake Charity (with support from her mom) to raise scholarship money to send other kids to Camp Flamecatcher whose families otherwise couldn’t afford the cost. Jessica raised enough for two partial and one full scholarship, and she is working hard to raise more this year.
The Camp experience also stirred her to action in another way. “People just don’t listen to young people well and I thought what better way to do something about that then to go for a title,” she said. “I researched the pageant organizations that care about what you do for others and that is what I am all about.”
Meet Miss Junior Teen Ohio 2012
At 15, Jessica – Miss Junior Teen Ohio 2012 – is a dedicated advocate for the Epilepsy Foundation, a member of her school’s Varsity Dance Team, a cheerleader for Beavercreek City Schools, received an All Team Academic Aw
ard and varsity letter for playing hockey, and is always looking for volunteer opportunities. Jessica is the youngest TWIG Auxiliary member for Dayton Children’s Hospital and is working with Julie Vann (previous mayor of Beavercreek) to establish a scholarship in honor of students her school has lost. For all that Jessica has accomplished, her list of accolades is simply too long to list.
I asked Jessica what her message is to other young people like herself. “I tell them to not let their disease or disability define them. You can do anything you put your mind to.”
I think that is a great lesson for all of us.
Anthony Munoz Foundation Is Accepting Applications For Scholarships
The Anthony Muñoz Foundation is offering high school seniors the opportunity to be awarded $20,000 in scholarship money through the Anthony Muñoz Scholarship Fund. The deadline for the Scholarship Fund is April 30th, which means 
there is a little more than a month left to apply.
The Anthony Muñoz Scholarship Fund is awarded to students who demonstrate a desire to overcome adversity, have financial need, excel academically, and fulfill a leadership role in the community. Up to six $20,000 scholarships will be awarded. Eligibility requirements and the scholarship application can be found on the Foundation’s website www.munozfoundation.org.
The recipients of the award will be recognized on June 9th, 2013 at the Hall of Fame Dinner in Mason, Ohio.
A Challenge On Bringing Out The Best In Others
ArtsWave Cincinnati Holding Amazing Arts Race
ArtsWave announces the Amazing Arts Race, a creative scavenger hunt for young professionals in downtown Cincinnati, will be held Saturday, April 13. Registration is now open at www.amazingartsrace.com. The Amazing Arts Race is generously sponsored by the Taft Museum of Art with support of The Thomas J. Emery Memorial and The Greater Cincinnati Foundation. This event supports ArtsWave’s annual community campaign for the arts which runs through April 30.
In an event inspired by the hit reality TV series The Amazing Race, teams will race to complete a series of arts challenges in Downtown Cincinnati including finding works of art and architecture, answering arts trivia, and making art themselves. Teams and organizers will use Twitter to obtain clues and complete some tasks. From origami to charades to dance breaks, these fun challenges will stretch team members’ creativity. Prizes will be awarded to the first, second and third place teams in addition to random prize drawings.
“Last year, GE Aviation organized an arts scavenger hunt for young professionals at their company,” says Jared Queen, Campaign Manager at ArtsWave and Amazing Arts Race coordinator. “Our ArtsWave Young Professionals group loved the idea and decided this year to scale it up to an event for teams from all across the region.” Teams will move around downtown by foot and/or by car to different arts organizations and works of public art. Running gear is not required, as creativity will be as important as speed.
ArtsWave partner companies are encouraged to form teams of 2 to 4 people, but the event is open to all young professionals. Individuals interested in being paired with a team can contact Jared directly at jared.queen@theartswave.org.
Registration is $10 per person and can be completed online at www.amazingartsrace.com. Deadline to register is April 7. Teams will be notified by email and twitter of the race starting point the week of April 8.
Enter To Win Tickets To Opening Night Of WarHorse
Thank you so much to everyone for participating! I may be doing more give-a-ways in the future. I want to congratulate Mike Poweleit who won these two tickets. It’s going to be a great show!
ENTER TO WIN TICKETS TO OPENING NIGHT OF
The National Theatre’s epic WAR HORSE, winner of five 2011 Tony® Awards including Best Play, will be playing a strictly limited two week engagement in Cincinnati, March 26 – April 7, 2013 presented as part of the Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Cincinnati 12/13 Season.
ENTER TO WIN
And I’m excited to announce I have TWO tickets to opening night to give away. Entering is simple. Here’s how:
You must be a Facebook fan of Good Things Going Around or So Much PETential (or both – if you are a fan of both). Click on the hyperlinks to visit each page.
Then, either add a comment to this post or message me with the answer to one of these questions: Why do you think the arts are important in Greater Cincinnati? or Why do you enjoy the arts in Greater Cincinnati?
**Note that your comment may be used in a future online post, and by submitting it, you are giving me permission to use your comment and name.
I will randomly draw a name on Sunday night, March 24, at 8 p.m. and will email the winner. Because of the closeness to the play, you will have until Monday morning, at 10 am, to reply or I will draw another name.
More about the show…
Michael Morpurgo’s novel, War Horse, is also the inspiration for Steven Spielberg’s feature film of the same name, which earned six Oscar nominations including Best Picture.
Hailed by The New York Times as “theatrical magic,” WAR HORSE is the powerful story of young Albert’s beloved horse, Joey, who has been enlisted to fight for the English in World War I. In a tale the New York Daily News calls “spellbinding, by turns epic and intimate,” Joey is caught in enemy crossfire and ends up serving both sides of the war before landing in no man’s land. Albert, not old enough to enlist, embarks on a treacherous mission to find his horse and bring him home. What follows is a remarkable tale of courage, loyalty and friendship, filled with stirring music and songs and told with the some of the most innovative stagecraft of our time.
The tour of WAR HORSE, based on the beloved novel by Michael Morpurgo and adapted by Nick Stafford, will be directed by 
Bijan Sheibani based on the original Tony® Award-winning direction by Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, and presented in association with Handspring Puppet Company. At the heart of the show are life-sized puppets which bring breathing, galloping, charging horses to thrilling life on stage.
In addition to Best Play, WAR HORSE received Tony® Awards for Best Direction of a Play (Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris), Best Scenic Design of a Play (Rae Smith), Best Lighting Design of a Play (Paule Constable), and Best Sound Design of a Play (Christopher Shutt). A Special Tony Award was given to Handspring Puppet Company for their integral work on the production.
WAR HORSE received its World Premiere in a limited engagement at the National’s Olivier Theatre in 2007. The play returned to the National Theatre for a second run playing from in 2008-2009 before transferring to the West End’s New London Theatre in Spring 2009 where it continues to play an open-ended run. WAR HORSEhas been seen by almost 2 million people worldwide.
The lead producers of the National Tour of WAR HORSE are Bob Boyett and the National Theatre of Great Britain.
Lincoln Center Theater and the National Theatre of Great Britain in association with Bob Boyett and War Horse LP, are the producers of the American premiere of WAR HORSE, which opened in Spring 2011 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater where it is currently playing an open-ended run.
WAR HORSE will play the Aronoff Center from March 26 – April 7, 2013: Tuesday- Friday at 8:00PM, Saturday at 2:00PM and 8:00PM, and Sunday at 1:00PM and 6:30PM. Tickets for WAR HORSE range from $28 – $83 and are subject to change based on demand. They are available at the Aronoff Center Box Office downtown at 650 Walnut Street, online at CincinnatiArts.org or by phone at 513.621.ARTS. For groups of 10 or more, contact the group sales department at 513.369.4363. Performance schedule, prices and cast are subject to change without notice. For more information, please visit www.BroadwayInCincinnati.com or www.warhorseonstage.com.
