Fundraiser with arts flair helps build character in youth

Posted 10/6/15

Robert Houghtaling, director of the East Greenwich Drug Program, will host a fundraiser this Saturday night to benefit Youth to Youth, but it will have some extra flair.

Along with dinner, this …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Fundraiser with arts flair helps build character in youth

Posted

Robert Houghtaling, director of the East Greenwich Drug Program, will host a fundraiser this Saturday night to benefit Youth to Youth, but it will have some extra flair.

Along with dinner, this fundraiser will also include a bit of an art show with creative manifestations, both visually and auditory, of Houghtaling’s poetry by friends and family.

The idea for the fundraiser came out of Houghtaling wanting to begin a project with his father, Robert Houghtaling, who is also artistic.

From there, the project spiraled to include more of the people close to Houghtaling.

“I want to emphasize, I’m not a Tennyson or a Dickinson,” Houghtaling said. “The art is really the relationships we forge with others. The whole community is at the heart of this and everyone can be a part of that.”

Houghtaling’s father said he felt honored his son thought enough of his art to put it on display.

Elaine Arts, who also created some pieces for the show, thought the fundraiser was a “wonderful idea” and it helped her get back in tune with her creative side, using various mediums such as colored pencils and charcoal to create images.

“I used a little bit of everything,” she said. “The whole event is the art piece, really; a community event that strives to bring everyone together, we all become a part of that.”

All the artists involved also want to help contribute to Youth to Youth, a leadership and substance abuse prevention program for at-risk children. All the proceeds from the event will go toward scholarships for the program.

Houghtaling said the program has become a “staple” for Rhode Island’s youth, providing students an opportunity to interact with their peers in a substance free environment.

Arts said the program helps get teens into positive programs and prepares them to take on leadership roles within their own communities.

Houghtaling’s father said, “These kids learn how to live life without drugs and alcohol, giving them a whole new outlook on things. Youth to Youth improves their character; it gives me hope for the future.”

The fundraiser will be on Saturday, Oct. 10 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Swift Community Center at 121 Peirce Street.

Tickets are $30. All proceeds will go toward Youth to Youth scholarships.

For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Bob Houghtaling at 230-2246.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here