UWG News Item
Contact: UWG Public Relations Office
Phone (678) 839-6464, FAX (678) 839-6645
ucm@westga.edu
Rudolph to the Rescue Toy Drive
November 22, 2005
CARROLLTON, GA - The holiday season is here and there is no better way to celebrate a holiday tradition than by attending the Townsend Center for the Performing Arts annual Rudolf to the Rescue Toy Drive and Holiday Show. This year’s entertainment features the exciting international comedy juggling act of The Gizmo Guys.
The event is scheduled Dec. 2 and begins at 6:30 p.m. with a reception of desserts and hors d'oeuvres, holiday music and Rudolf's decorated theatre filled with donated toys. Admission to the reception is an unwrapped gift. The center is located on the University of West Georgia campus in Carrollton.
The
Gizmo Guys, Allan Jacobs & Barrett Felker, begin their juggling comedy
act at 7:30 p.m. The performers are international entertainers and have
been juggling around the world since 1987. They promise their comedy and
amazing juggling act is entertaining for all ages.
“What we are trying to do is see families come together and be entertained together,” said Felker. “A lot of shows are just for kids or just for adults. This is something everyone can enjoy.”
The name for the performers came from the slang terms of gadgets, gizmos and whatchamacallits, things they sometimes juggle.
“In our show, we find something visually exciting and then explore it to see how we can put it to music and make it funny,” said Felker. “It's important for it to be funny. We juggle ping pong balls with our mouths. People like that one. And no, we don't pass them back and forth.”
The Rudolph to the Rescue reception is a wonderful event families can enjoy together. An unwrapped toy is the ticket to the catered affair in the Townsend Center lobby and features live holiday music, a buffet with desserts and hors d'oeuvres and a trip to the festive toy land in the Black Box Theatre.
UWG students and staff decorated the small theatre and transformed it into a magical place with a 12-foot Christmas tree, Rudolf, stenciled holiday designs on the floor and a mini-light show on the walls. Hundreds of donated gifts will be piled high under the tree.
Community residents and businesses and UWG faculty and staff donate the gifts for children and families in Carroll County who need the assistance of the Department of Children and Family Services.
The UWG Staff Advisory Council and ARAMARK, the university food service provider, coordinate the toy drive and provide the holiday fare at the reception.
“It’s another opportunity for the university and the community to help others less fortunate,” said Robert Jennings, director of the Townsend Center for the Performing Arts.
Holiday show tickets are $10 for adults, $7 for seniors, $5 for UWG students, and $3 for children. Reservations are required. Call the Townsend Center box office at 678-839-4722 for reservations. For more information on The Gizmo Guys, go to http://www.westga.edu/~tcpa/gizmoguys.html.
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