Students will soon be dancing, singing, art-making, and hat-wearing at two area middle schools - all to bring better health to kids in Haiti.

The two schools, Falcon Bluffs and West Middle Schools, are taking part in "Give A Kid A Shot!" campaign. The goal is to raise awareness and money to help vaccinate the 2.7 million children in Haiti who cannot afford or get access to basic inoculations for TB, polio, measles, and other childhood killers.

"The amazing truth is, just $2 can vaccinate one child in Haiti," says Dr. Nicole Hoffman of Sunrise Family Practice in Littleton, and a board member of the Haitian Timoun Foundation, the sponsor of the campaign. "For kids here in Denver, $2 means half a Starbucks coffee or two music downloads. For their counterparts in Haiti, $2 can mean the difference between life and death."

Teachers, administrators, and parents at both schools are excited to see their children get involved in a project that can make a real difference - and learn about a part of the world that is not far away, and yet is often written off as hopeless.

The week of Sept. 16, kids will be invited to contribute at least $2 to "give a kid a shot." Plus, they'll explore the country and its people through the stories and talents of some special guests. The Resurrection Dance Theater of Haiti, currently on tour in the United States with stops in Littleton, Lone Tree and Boulder (see PUBLIC EVENTS below), will give special performances at both schools. In addition to their acclaimed mixture of dance, percussion, and storytelling, they will visit classes to talk with kids about their culture and their art. The dancers, musicians and artists in the dance company are young themselves, ranging in age from 10 to 26.

At West Middle School, events will take place on Thursday, Sept. 20, with sixth-grade students, who are doing a whole unit this year on Haiti - a rare opportunity to interact with young people from the country being studied.

At Falcon Bluffs, all three grades will participate in the events on Friday, Sept. 21. There will be two 45-minute dance performances there, at 8:15 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Though these are not public events, parents are invited to attend. Also on Friday, kids will be allowed to wear a "Hat for Haiti," with a $1 contribution.

All funds collected go to the Haitian Timoun Foundation, a non-profit organization that focuses on improving the lives of Haitian children ("timoun" means "little child" in Creole) by providing grants to Haitian organizations that are making a measurable difference in their country. In 2006 alone, HTF invested almost $280,000 in partnership grants and direct sponsorship of Haitian children and young adults. In this case, the foundation will be a partner with Grace Hospital in Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital, to begin a large-scale vaccination program. HTF is an all-volunteer organization with no overhead, and it closely monitors its partners to make sure funds are wisely spent for the children of Haiti.

At the two Colorado middle schools, the kids are ready to have fun - as are the boys and young men from the Resurrection Dance Theater. "The younger boys are so excited to spend time at school with American kids," says Rosemary Bennett, another member of the HTF Board. "And the older ones are very honored to share their dance and their stories, all in the hopes of bringing life to more children. I can't wait to see all these kids together. It's one more step toward bringing the world together in peace and health."

SCHOOL EVENTS (not public, but press and parents are welcome):

"Give A Kid A Shot In Haiti"

West Middle School - Thursday, Sept. 20

5151 South Holly Street

Littleton, CO 80121

• Dance performance by Resurrection Dance Theater of Haiti

Falcon Bluffs Middle School - Friday, Sept. 21

8449 South Garrison Street

Littleton, CO 80128

• Two Dance performances at 8:15 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.
• Multiple classroom activities in French, Band, and Art classes

PUBLIC EVENTS:

Free Performances by the Resurrection Dance Theater of Haiti

All donations to benefit the Haitian Timoun Foundation

• Thursday, Sept. 20, at 7p.m. at God's Grace Community Church, 9535B Park Meadows Drive in Lone Tree
• Friday, Sept. 21, at 7 p.m. Abiding Hope Lutheran Church, Coal Mine and Simms in Littleton. 303.972.1283
• Sunday, Sept. 23, 3p.m. at Atonement Lutheran Church, 685 Inca Parkway, Boulder, 303.499.4567

For more information visit www.HopeInHaiti.org.