We are proud to announce that Coach K has named the Emily Krzyzewski Center as his selected charity in the Infiniti Coaches’ Charity Challenge. Forty-eight top college basketball coaches will participate in the challenge which invites fans to vote for their favorite coach over an eight week period. Voters can cast their ballot through ESPN.com’s link to the Infiniti Coaches’ Charity Challenge and can vote for Coach K each day. Infiniti will contribute more than $300,000 to selected charities, with one winner receiving $100,000. Without Coach Krzyzewski’s support, the Emily K Center would not be able to offer 1,500 students and community members each month the opportunity to learn, convene and grow, or conduct its academic K to College Model, a program designed to help students achieve in school and gain entry to college.

We’re really excited to officially be charitable partners of the Ramblin’ Rose Half Marathon which will be run here in Durham on Sunday, October 16th.  You can read the official announcement from Endurance Magazine.   What does it mean?  It means that we need our amazing supporters to sign-up as volunteers.  Here’s all the important info:

Who:   Anyone over 18 can volunteer - sign up as an individual or with friends.
What:   Endurance Magazine will host their first Ramblin’ Rose Women’s Half Marathon in Durham.  They expect to have thousands of runners and will need 100’s of volunteers.  The Emily K Center is recruiting volunteers to work as Course Monitors during the race.  Course Monitors are the “GPS” for the course - providing safety, encouragement, and direction to the runners and spectators.
When:  Sunday October 16th, 6:30AM - 10:30AM
Where:  The race starts at the American Tobacco Campus and runs throughout Durham.  Course Monitors will be stationed in teams along the course.
Why: Endurance Magazine will make a donation to the Emily K Center for every volunteer who works on our behalf.  This is also a huge event and a great opportunity for us to spread the word about the Emily K Center.  As an added bonus, anyone that volunteers on our behalf can also pick up an Emily K Center hat to wear on race-day!
How:  Check your calendar and make sure you can commit to volunteering on October 16th.  Follow this link to register as a volunteer.  On the first page choose “Course Monitor” under “Specific Event”.  On the second page be sure to choose “Emily K Center” as the organization you are volunteering on behalf of.  Once you are registered you will be directly contacted by Endurance with all the race-day details.  Please try to register before September 15th.

This will be a fun event and a great way to help the Emily K Center.  We hope to see you out on the course!

The Emily K Center was prominently featured in a News and Observer story by correspondent Virginia Bridges. Ms. Bridges interviewed EKC students, staff members and parents over the course of a month of on site reporting.  Students shared stories about their time at EKC and their dreams for the future.  Parents commented that the EKC has helped them learn about important topics such as social networking and college opportunities for their sons and daughters.  Staff members walked the reporter down memory lane, telling her about the Center’s development since it opened five years ago. Photographer Harry Lynch snapped so many great shots that four full color ones were included with the article! Enjoy!

While Miami fans were sweating the Heat, and Dallas fans were praying there wouldn’t be a repeat of 2006, The Emily K Center gym was filled with fans cheering on Durham’s Finest police officers and firefighters as they hooped it up to raise money for tornado relief victims.  Five teams of men and women, whose day job is to serve and protect, met at Emily K for three Showcase basketball games all in the name of charity. Investigator Corey Cook organized the event, asking for $3-5 donations, with all proceeds going to the American Red Cross. In addition to being able to watch some great games, the officers handed out Police Packets of coloring books and crayons to the kids in attendance.  As the day’s ‘go to’ guy, Cook was happy with the turnout and hopes to hold similar fundraisers in the future. The teams, including the Durham Police Department, the Duke University Police Department, the Raleigh Police Department, the Durham City Fire Department and the Durham County Sheriff’s Office all delivered in the clutch and raised more than $400.  Way to finish guys!

More than 45 students at the Emily K Center danced, kicked, and threw their way through five weeks of exciting after-program activities designed to herald in Spring. Students elected to participate in activities ranging from ultimate frisbee and soccer, to modern dance with talented and renowned Gaspard Louis, Director of the Creative Movement Community Program, and former member of  Pilobolus Dance Theater. While patient and immensely enthusiastic working with the local 1st through 8th grade EKC students, previously Gaspard had taught and performed worldwide and collaborated on the choreography of nine major dance works.

“I had so much fun at dance and I learned lots of new moves,” said Rahssan Scott, a second grader at the Emily K Center.

Join the Durham Symphony Orchestra with special guests the Durham Children’s Choir and KidZNotes for a special concert, Sunday, March 19 at 3:00 PM at the Emily K Center, 904 West Chapel Hill Street, Durham.  The concert is free and open to the public.

The Durham Symphony will perform selected works from their recent classical concert. Joining them on the program will be children from KidZNotes, a children’s orchestra launched in September 2010 in East Durham, inspired by El Sistema of Venezuela, who will perform side-by-side with the Durham Symphony Orchestra and the Durham Children’s Choir presenting several important masterpieces of classical repertoire, an arrangement of the theme from Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, “Ode to Joy”, and the Pachelbel Canon in D. In addition to their ensemble work, the Durham Children’s Choir, under the direction of Scott Hill, will be performing solo selections.

This year marks the 5th year the Durham Symphony will perform at the Emily K Center, a non-profit organization serving academically-focused, low-income students in out-of-school programming.  Adam Eigenrauch, Executive Director of the Emily K Center, enthusiastically welcomed the group. “Once again we are delighted to offer our facilities for this event which benefits not only the students who attend the Emily K Center, but also the Durham community at large. It will be even more exciting than in years past with the addition of KidZNotes,” said Eigenrauch

Special thanks to the Kirby and Sheetz Foundations for making this concert possible.

Where to begin about The Emily K Center 5th Birthday Celebration? Well, certainly there are a large number of shout-outs to be given to folks for their role in the event.

First, shout-out to all the EKC students who helped celebrate with cake and pizza. Eleven of you have been coming to EKC for all five years including.  We salute you for your academics and character! You are shining examples of what it means to be an Emily K Center student.

And shout-out to all the parents who helped make cards with birthday wishes and filmed video congratulations.  Your devotion in helping your children achieve every day is certainly something to celebrate.

Shout-out to all of our guests who shared in the event. To our Lead Tutors and volunteers, we can’t open the doors without you. A number of other past and present friends, board members, supporters, all of whom we depend on, shared in the day.

Some special visitors stopped by including the Mayor of Durham, Bill Bell, and Coach Krzyzewski and family including wife Mickie, and daughters Jamie and Lindy.  Coach K reminisced about the launching of the Center, named in honor of his mother who inspired him, and shared that it is now EKC students  working so hard  who inspire him.

Mayor Bell offered kind words. “I would like to congratulate the Emily K Center, its students and staff on five years of hard work on the road to preparing for college. To come here after the school day to work for more hours is a commitment that should make your families proud. On behalf of the Durham Community we wish you many more years
of success so that you will reach your goal of going to college, graduating, and coming home to become the future leaders here in Durham. Know that your community and its leaders are proud of you,” said the Mayor.

Duke University’s President Brodhead sent his wishes. “It is my honor to commend you for your many accomplishments in your first five years. Even more importantly, I would like to congratulate the students at the Emily K Center for five years of hard work and dedication on the road to preparing for college. I know that your commitment makes your
families proud, and we are proud of you too. On behalf of Duke University and the Durham Community, I wish you many more years of reaching and working for your goals in life. We look forward to having you join us as future leaders in Durham.”

Even the Governor of the state, Governor Bev Perdue, heard the news of the anniversary and sent a very formal and official looking letter that went right into a frame. Students gathered around to read the message. “On behalf of the State of North Carolina, it is a pleasure to offer warm greetings to everyone attending the Emily Krzyzewski Birthday Celebration. It is my privilege to congratulate you on five years of helping to mold our youth and prepare them for college. Our communities are stronger when all of our children have the resources and support they need to achieve their goals and follow their dreams.”

If all that wasn’t exciting enough, our new video Building Scholars-Changing Lives premiered in the EKC gymnasium. While the Center partners with many Durham schools and community-based organizations and serves  nearly 1,000 students and families monthly in the Center’s multi-purpose rooms, gymnasium, and stage, it has never been used as movie premier theatre! All in attendance were bowled over with the job done by our generous gift and work of Modern Men Productions.

All in all, the celebration was over-the-top super. Can’t wait for Birthday Celebration number 10!!!

The Emily K Center makes news again, this time in the February/March issue of Durham Magazine. The publication’s Iesha Brown spent almost a week at the EKC interviewing students, staff and parents. After one interview with a student who shared that the Emily K Center had changed her life, the journalist got up from her chair and pronounced, “After this story is written, I want to tutor here too!” Iesha went on to write a very thorough feature story, at times through the eyes of 15-year-old EKC student, Edmi Cornejo. In addition to Edmi’s personal story, the writer perfectly summarized the activity of the EKC,

“Powerful stories like Edmi’s actually are the norm at the center, named for Coach K’s late mother. Teachers and college students serve as tutors and counselors, not only helping students with academics, but also stressing the importance of character and leadership skills. The center offers year-round Pioneer Scholars and Scholars to College programs, which include a five-week academic summer bridge program.”

Thank you Durham Magazine and Iesha for caring about our Center!  The magazine is available at local retail outlets including The Regulator Bookshop, Whole Foods Market, and Borders and Barnes & Noble bookstores. A portion of the article can be viewed here.

The New Year is filled with Emily K Center Resolutions.  Here are a few….

To basically be successful - Ariel, Grade 4

Talk to my friends more - Rahssan, Grade 2

Dream.  Do. Achieve. - Girija Mahajan, Educational Programming Specialist

Help my community by picking up cans for recycling - Alexis, Grade 8

Celebrate the first 5 years of the Center serving great kids here in Durham and work hard to make sure we are prepared to do even more in the next 5 years! - Lauren Gardner, Chief Operating Officer

Not break any bones this year. - Ezekiel, Grade 5

I hope to see the facility utilized more and by a variety of Durham groups over the course of the year. - Michele Brown, Office Manager

In addition to committing to some great resolution, there has been much activity in recent weeks.
The new Annual Report went out via mail and a posting on the EKC website. It was greeted with quite a favorable response. Friends of EKC showed their continued support of the work being done with generous remembrances and warm wishes for our efforts in the 2011. “We continue to be inspired by the charity and thoughtfulness of our EKC friends,” said Gerry Musante, Board Advancement Committee Chair, “It is their belief in the EKC mission that allows the staff and students to accomplish great things.”

The Center also hosted Leadership Durham during the first week of the New Year for its monthly meeting which focused on the state of education in Durham.  Leadership Durham provides local business people and community leaders with the opportunity to have face-to-face meetings with local and state leaders and on-site visits to local institutions, agencies and organizations where the participants explore the major issues facing our community. The group took a tour of EKC and Executive Director, Adam Eigenrauch, provided an overview of the K to College Model.  With great groups like this already using the facility, Michele’s resolution seems to already be coming true!

Thanks to longtime Emily K Center friend Russ Newman, celebrating the recent holiday was easy as pie for EKC students.  Pumpkin, blueberry, sweet potato and cherry pie to be exact.

Fond memories of working with the students during our Spring Break Camp in past years prompted Coach Newman to reach out and remember the students with their family’s choice of pie. “It’s true. He called from Florida and said he just wanted the kids to know that he was thinking about them and wanted to provide our families with something nice to enjoy over the holidays,” said EKC’s Lauren Gardner, who coordinated the pie fest.

Which pie was the most picked? Sweet Potato won the distinction!