SunnyKeez to host an 80s Fundraiser Party for the Creative Arts Youth Summer Camp

Orion Griffin, The Anson Record, Wadesboro, N.C.
·4 min read

Jun. 7—MORVEN — Break out your colorful windbreakers and leg warmers, big hair and mullets, and skip school and take your friend's dad's red sports car out for a joyride, it's the 80s again!

SunnyKeez, a minority-woman ran non-profit organization, will be hosting an 80s themed fundraiser on June 17 from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. at the HOLLA! Community Center in Morven. The fundraiser is to raise money for the Creative Arts Youth Summer Camp, a camp that focuses on being creative through many avenues, which SunnyKeez will be holding on the last three Tuesdays and Thursdays of July.

"They're going to have a different activity everyday," one of the two owners, Telesha Rae "Sunshine" Heilig, began. "So, some of the different activities we have, the first day we're going to have Miss Dana with the Bookmobile to come out. We plan to have her come out and read a story to maybe break-down the parts of the story, the characters and so on and so forth. Then, we're going to put it up to the kids to kind of create and act out a story."

"We also have individual businesses and creative things we do individually outside of it," the other owner, Eukyta "Kee" Little added. "So, for example, like the first day when we do the creative writing, I'm a self-published author. When we do the painting, she [Sunshine] has a painting business where she instructs that."

Both Sunshine and Kee dance on their own. Sunshine hosts a Zumba class at the City Reach Community Center, and their experience plays into the dance day that the camp has planned. Dances will date as far back as African Folk dance to modern day TikTok dances.

"And that kind of touches on the creative editing part, the way they make the TikTok vidoes and things like that," Kee explained. "You know, that's very creative. They're literally editing videos."

The camp is free for children ages 6 to 11, and sign-ups will be in person on Monday, July 10 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the HOLLA! Community Center. The camp will be funded by the 80s fundraiser party, with hopes to ear enough donations that SunnyKeez would be able to provide transportation the the camp's field trip to Big Air Trampoline Park. Entry for the party does require a minimum donation of $5.

"I would really like for the people to attend the 80s party and know that you're not paying us. This isn't going in our pockets," explained Sunshine.

The 80s party will have 2 DJs, one inside (who will play more 80s) and the other outside (who will play more up-to date), food trucks, karaoke, and entertainment. Every cent will go to providing items and funding the summer camp, but both the 80s party and the summer camp have goals of bringing more positivity to Anson and it's municipalities, hoping to overshadow many of the negative representations that the county receives, as well as bring something to do.

"Anson County gets a bad rep for having, you know, not the best support or not having anything to do or the most positive place to be," Kee began. "I've done a lot. We both have lived in different places and large cities, and we still came back here and instead of being kind of like the group that's complaining about what's not happening, we're in the 5% that is actually trying to make a difference."

Since both Sunshine and Kee are Anson county natives, with Sunshine being a Lilesville native and Kee being from Morven, they'd like to help make Anson County more positive and help make home a better place by bringing community events for both children and everyone in Anson and the counties surrounding Anson.

"Like we're actually from here, we actually grew up in this area. We've actually gone to other places outside Anson County, and we still came back here," Kee continued. "And we want to make a difference where we're at versus trying to go to other large cities to do something before taking care of home first."

Show up in your best 80s gear and come support the community and summer camp. For those who will be unable to attend the event, but still want to donate can send money to the SunnyKeez cashapp.