Point Pleasant Student Alison Haugh Helps Organize Charity Event at Rider University

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ (03/01/2010)(readMedia)-- For the past six years, Alison Haugh has volunteered at a youth theater camp back home in Point Pleasant, N.J. Not only has the experience reaffirmed her dreams of becoming a teacher, but it has also taught her the value of creativity.

"We have no budget. We hold 'storybook theater,' teach dance and run large production numbers, so we try to use as many raw materials as we can. We rent books and music from the library," said Haugh, a junior Elementary Education and Fine Arts major,. "As students, we come from such opposite ends of the spectrum because we have so many resources here at Rider."

That's why the Rider University chapter of Alpha Psi Omega will hold its second annual Singin' to Save the Music!, in which the theater fraternity's biggest talents will perform in a variety show in order to raise money for furthering music education in local schools. All funds raised will go toward the VH1 Save the Music Foundation, which donates supplies to underprivileged schools.

"The cause is close to the heart because APO is a theater fraternity. This organization represents having a love for music and the arts," Haugh, an APO member, said.

The entire community is invited to attend the charity event, which will be held on March 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the Bart Luedeke Center Theater on the Lawrenceville campus, 2083 Lawrenceville Road. The event will showcase a variety of talents, including vocal, piano, drum and dance performances by APO members. Tickets are $3 for students and $5 for general admission. All ticket proceeds will be donated to the foundation. Last year, the event raised $400 to donate to the foundation. This year, the organization hopes to raise more than $500.

APO is open to all majors from the Lawrenceville and Westminster campuses. The organization holds fundraising events and charity events throughout the year, as well as two student-run shows each semester. This spring, APO will hold its 14th annual dance show on Friday, March 26, and March 27. The theme is "Life in Memories." Interpretive dances will depict birth, death, marriage and learning to ride a bike. Then on Friday, April 30, and Saturday, May 1, the organization will present its student-run play, The Ash Girl, which takes a twisted spin on Cinderella.

"Acting is one of the classes often taken away in schools," Haugh said. "Many APO members have been fortunate enough to be involved in strong arts programs. Without these programs, we would have been very different people."

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