Feb
22
Want to see where Cab Calloway played in Little Rock???
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Then come and tour the Dreamland Ballroom Saturday, February 27, anytime between 11:00-3:00 p.m.
YOU’RE INVITED to take part in restoring a “Little Rock’n” treasure- The Dreamland Ballroom. Get in on the ground floor; buy a brick and tour the Dreamland Ballroom “in the rough.”
Your purchase of a brick is your invitation to ALL of Dreamland’s in-progress parties and pave the way to Dreamland Ballroom entrance.
TOURS are Saturday, February 27, anytime between 11:00 and 3:00 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.
This fundraising campaign benefits the renovation of the Dreamland Ballroom. Be a part of the Friends of Dreamland’s way cool project by purchasing a custom engraved brick. The sale of these bricks will afford a safe floor for our upcoming events.
More about the Friends of Dreamland -
The “Friends of Dreamland” is a newly formed non-profit group dedicated to the restoration and preservation of the historic landmark, Taborian Hall and its famous Dreamland Ballroom located on the third floor of 800 West Ninth Street in Little Rock, Arkansas… the home of Arkansas Flag and Banner.
And our Mission Statement really means what it says:
“Friends of Dreamland are committed to bringing back the Music, the History, and the Party of the Dreamland Ballroom!”
“Friends of Dreamland” is incorporated in the State of Arkansas as a non-profit organization. Our 501(c)(3) application is in process with the Federal government. Your donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
For more information and to RSVP to this event email: friends@dreamlandballroom.com
Did you get to see the Dreamland Ballroom on KARK Channel 4?
KARK came out last Sunday, February 14, to the West Little Rock Barnes and Noble to video the Friends of Dreamland Ballroom book fair fundraiser. Barnes and Noble donated 10% of its proceeds from anyone who mentioned “Friends of Dreamland Ballroom.”
Check out the video on KARK’s website.
Jan
21
Friends of Dreamland Starts its First Fundraising Campaign – “Pave The Way!”
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January 20, 2010
Little Rock, AR – The Friends of Dreamland Ballroom, the non-profit group dedicated to the restoration of the historic Dreamland Ballroom
is excited to announce their first fundraising campaign – Pave the Way.
They will be selling custom engraved bricks that will be placed at the entrance of the ballroom. They have two sizes available; a 4×8 inch brick that holds 65 characters and an 8×8 that holds 120 characters. A $100 donation gets the smaller brick and the larger can be had for a donation of $250.
Kerry McCoy, President of the Friends of Dreamland says, “We think the ‘Pave the Way’ campaign is a great way to get the local community involved in this great project. We would love to see the names of people that have a connection to the history of this building lining the sidewalk up to the front door”.
More about the Friends of Dreamland-
The Friends of Dreamland is a newly formed non-profit group dedicated to the restoration and preservation of the historic landmark, Taborian Hall and its famous Dreamland Ballroom located at 800 West Ninth Street in Little Rock, Arkansas. Concurrent goals include the collection, conservation, and celebration of Taborian’s unique history relating to Arkansas’ African American heritage.
Friends of Dreamland incorporated in the State of Arkansas July 31, 2009. We plan to do most of our fundraising in 2010, and begin renovations 2011, our projected Grand Opening 2012.
For information: http://www.dreamlandballroom.com
Contact: friends@dreamlandballroom.com
Contact Person: Kerry McCoy
Phone: 501-255-5700
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Jun
1
Living the dream
Filed Under AFB in Print, AFB's Philanthropy, Dreamland Ballroom | Leave a Comment
Renovating former ballroom a lesson in patience.
By Melissa Tucker
Photo by Shannon Sturgis
As Published in Sync Weekly, Tuesday, May 26, 2009
LITTLE ROCK — By her own standards, Kerry McCoy could call herself a Big Dreamer.
The owner of Arkansas Flag and Banner and its upstairs venue, the Dreamland Ballroom, is still chasing her vision of re-opening the forgotten music hall.
The stage that once held B.B. King, Etta James, Ray Charles and Ella Fitzgerald is now covered in dust and bits of fallen ceiling.
Back in the early ’90s, McCoy bought the building for $20,000, but in the years since, has spent $300,000 on necessary repairs.
“I bought it in 1991 with a big hole in the roof and everyone said, ‘You’ve lost your shirt. Don’t do it. Don’t do it.’ I can’t tell you how many people told me not to [buy this building],” she said.
After spending enough to make the building “safe and secure,” McCoy started her plans to revitalize the old Dreamland Ballroom, but right away, discovered the project was bigger than she expected.
“Every time I go to renovate it, it’s just not quite there,” she said.
“First it was going to be $400,000 and I didn’t have enough money, so I got enough money for $400,000 and it moved to $600,000,” she said. “It’s like a moving target.”
Now that construction costs are rising, the project has jumped to $1 million, and McCoy said the credit crisis in the financial markets has stymied her plans to get a loan.
“Right after I spent all the money doing the architect’s plans and the engineering plans and got it approved with the city, we went to the bank the very week the banks folded,” she said.
She finally decided the Dreamland Ballroom should get nonprofit status.
“It’s got a lot of angles to ask for grants,” she said. “It’s got the music angle, the black history angle, a woman-owned angle and just plain old, historical. There ought to be something in there somewhere.”
Now she just needs to raise $200,000 to take a 20 percent deposit to the bank before getting her loan.
She hopes the nonprofit status will help her raise more money and acquire corporate sponsorships. She’s started the application process with the help of a volunteer at the Arkansas Sustainability Network and expects to have it approved in the next three months.
She plans to do as little as possible to the Dreamland Ballroom to preserve its rundown beauty.
“I’m not gonna touch it. It’s going to look just like this with wood floors, chipping plaster,” she said.
“Don’t you think it’s charming, just like it is?”
She plans to add a few more stairway exits and an elevator. Visitors will be able to smoke on the third-floor landing outside.
When completed, she’ll rent out the venue for events from weddings to concerts to conferences. She regularly gets requests to reserve the venue.
“Every week someone e-mails me and asks if they can rent it or asks ‘When is it going to be open?’” she said. “Because last October I thought it would be open by now.”
Now, McCoy is in full fundraiser mode. She’s already considering categories for donors. Those that give a lot would be called Big Dreamers, and smaller donors would be Little Dreamers.
“Then, we’re thinking about dream catchers and dream weavers,” she said. “There’s a lot of play on words for dreamers.”
Oct
22
Race for the Cure 2008
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The 15th Annual Race for the Cure took place on Saturday, October 11th, and once again, Arkansas’ Flag and Banner was there. The Flag and Banner showroom opened at 7 a.m. to greet racers with free parking, and 50% off all Pink Ribbon products. As in the past, Flag and Banner fielded it’s all-star team of racers, consisting of Meghan Pittman, Susan Crotts, Carolyn Crocker, Billie Miller, and Kristin Hart. Nearly 46,000 women took part in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in downtown Little Rock Saturday.
After warming up as a lone singer performed a stirring rendition of the National Anthem, our all-stars began the race after calling the Hogs with the other 46,000 participants in a massive show of female Razorbacks support. During the Race, Kristin Hart waved hello to customers that purchased flags from FlagandBanner.com. As they waved back, the flags waved, suspended in the air by the scissor lift they stood in. After completing the race our all-star team of racers returned to Flag and Banner and enjoyed a well-deserved southern-style breakfast prepared by our personal chef, Sam Rutherford. The rest of the day was spent selling all things Pink Ribbon as a percentage of all items sold went to support the Susan G. Komen foundation.
Oct
20
Supporting TOMS Shoes
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When Kerry McCoy heard about TOMS shoes for tomorrow and their new line for the upcoming election she was intrigued, until she found out more about the company. “When I heard that for every pair of shoes sold, they give a pair to children in need, I told my employees to sign us up.”
TOMS shoes was founded in 2006 by Blake Mycoskie. The original TOMS shoe has a unique slip-on design comprised of clean lines and lightweight fabrics in vibrant colors and prints. The idea for TOMS was inspired by Blake’s trip to Argentina where he saw the traditional Argentine alpargata. Struck by the poverty and health issues of the country, he set out to reinvent the alpargata for the U.S. market. His goal was simple: to show how together, we can create a better tomorrow by taking compassionate action by providing shoes – One for One.
To realize this purpose, Blake made a commitment to match every pair of TOMS purchased with a pair for a child in need. There are no complicated formulas- it’s simple: If you buy a pair of TOMS, the company will give a pair on your behalf. “I was overwhelmed by the spirit of the South American people, especially those who had so little,” Mycoskie says. “And I was instantly struck with the desire – the responsibility – to do more.”
During his first year in business, TOMS sold 10,000 pairs of shoes and Blake returned to Argentina to lead his first Shoe Drop during which he gave to the children who had inspired him. In November 2007, TOMS had its second Shoe Drop, hand-placing 50,000 pairs of shoes on children in South Africa.
Ms. McCoy said, “I was so inspired by this story. I couldn’t help but want to sell these shoes.”
FlagandBanner.com offers TOMS’ Vote Democrate and Vote Republican shoes. We hope that you will know for every step you take, a child you’ve never met is better off.
If you would like to participate in a shoe drop off, please contact Friends Of TOMS, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to give further aid to communities by the TOMS One for One mission.
Oct
26
Racing For The Cure
Filed Under AFB's Philanthropy, Current Events | 2 Comments
The 14th Annual Race for the Cure took place on Saturday, October 20th, and once again, Arkansas Flag and Banner was abuzz before the sun came up. The Flag and Banner showroom opened at 7 a.m. to greet racers with free parking, refreshments and 50% off all Pink Ribbon products. As in the past, Flag and Banner fielded it’s all-star team of racers, AKA “The Flagheads,” consisting of Owner Kerry McCoy, Susan Crotts, Stephanie Brangan, Beth Decker, and Kristin Hart.
After warming up as a local choir performed a stirring rendition of the National Anthem, “The Flagheads” began the race with the other 45,000 participants in a massive show of female solidarity. After completing the race and passing through the “Three miles of Men” stationed at a local microbrewery tailgate, the fearless team returned to Arkansas Flag and Banner and enjoyed a well-deserved southern-style breakfast in the newly remodeled kitchen. The rest of the day was spent selling all things Pink Ribbon and, as is the case throughout the year, a percentage of all items sold went to support the Susan G. Komen foundation in Arkansas. “Go Flagheads!!!!”
Mar
20
Gold Star Flag, Plaques Presented to Guard in Honor of Fallen
Filed Under AFB Press Releases, AFB's Philanthropy | 1 Comment
Army Sgt. 1st Class John G. Brown, 43, of Little Rock, Ark.; assigned to the Arkansas Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 185th Aviation Regiment (Air Assault), 77th Aviation Brigade, Camp Robinson, Ark.; died in Baghdad on Jan. 20 when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter he was in crashed. Also killed were Col. Brian D. Allgood, Staff Sgt. Darryl D. Booker, Lt. Col. David C. Canegata, Command Sgt. Maj. Marilyn L. Gabbard, Command Sgt. Maj. Roger W. Haller, Col. Paul M. Kelly, Staff Sgt. Floyd E. Lake, Cpl. Victor M. Langarica, Capt. Sean E. Lyerly, Maj. Michael V. Taylor and 1st Sgt. William T. Warren.
Gov. Mike Beebe says dealing with grief-stricken military families is one of the toughest jobs in his role as the state’s leader. So when the family of Sgt. 1st Class John Gary Brown of Little Rock asked the state Department of Veterans Affairs for help in obtaining a custom-made red-and-white flag with a gold star, state officials and a Veterans of Foreign Wars post hustled to comply. “The most difficult job you have as governor is making phone calls to family members, particularly to widows, of fallen soldiers,” Beebe said. “And so it’s appropriate when we honor those fallen soldiers, we try to honor the requests of those families.” On Tuesday, Beebe, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9095, and Fred Steube of the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs presented the flag and three plaques to Maj. Gen. Bill Wofford, adjutant general of the Arkansas National Guard. Wofford will then pass on the honorary items to the fallen soldiers’ families, Beebe said.
The three plaques are in honor of Brown, Maj. Michael V. Taylor and Sgt. William Tom Warren, who were among 12 soldiers killed when their Black Hawk helicopter was shot down in Iraq. All three were members of Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 185th Aviation Regiment of the 77th Aviation Brigade. The deaths were the first casualties for the 77th, military officials said. The crash also killed nine soldiers from Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia and the U.S. Virgin Islands, military officials said. The flag was designed by Arkansas Flag and Banner Company. The plaques, from the Veterans of Foreign Wars national headquarters in Kansas City, Mo., honor the three soldiers for their bravery and valor.
The Associated Press
May
1
Street party at FlagandBanner.com headquarters
Filed Under AFB's Community Service, AFB's Philanthropy, Dreamland Ballroom | Leave a Comment
Ninth Street once again became an entertainment district on Saturday, May 20 as Arkansas’ FlagandBanner.com and the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center hosted “The 9th Street Block Party.” In celebration of Arkansas Heritage Month, sponsored by the Department of Arkansas Heritage, the street was blocked off at West Ninth and State Streets and filled with musicians, artists and food vendors, and was a lively scene for families and people of all ages.
Entertainment and activities scheduled throughout the day included:
• Jazz blues, gospel, and hip hop musical acts
• Performing artists
• Memory Booth – locals brought their stories and photos of the 9th St community which was documented on film by Dempsey Film Group of Little Rock
• Local and regional artists
• Community information from Little Rock Fire Department and MEMS Ambulance Services
• Food from Pokey D’s, Margo’s Diner and Vino’s
• Kid’s activities
• Free admission, popcorn, cold drinks and cotton candy
Ninth Street, anchored by the Mosaic Templars Headquarters Building and Taborian Hall (now home to Arkansas’ FlagandBanner.com), was a thriving arts and entertainment district during the first half of the twentieth century. The modern organizations joined together to host an event that highlighted that legacy. Arkansas Flagandbanner.com offers commemorative Dreamland Ballroom t-shirts for promoting awareness of the historic dance hall.
Everyone brought their blankets and lawn chairs and enjoyed an entertaining day!
Oct
1
61st Airlift honors Arkansas Children’s Hospital
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Captain Christopher Kiser (right), along with the 61st Airlift Squadron, based at Little Rock Air Force Base, presents a certified American flag flown over Iraq and Afghanistan to Melissa Wolfe (left), a representative from Volunteer Services of the Arkansas Children’s Hospital. The flag was donated by Arkansas FlagandBanner.com for the occasion and after the presentation ceremony, the squadron visited the children and handed out flag stickers, also donated by FlagandBanner.com.