FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE         Media Contact:    Gabrielle Hewson
                                                                                    Director of Marketing & Development
                                                                                    585-271-8640 x 207

HICKOK CENTER AND DAZZLE SCHOOL JOIN FORCES FOR “DAZZLING HICKOK”

ROCHESTER, NY, May 26, 2009 – The Hickok Center for Brain Injury, in conjunction with the Dazzle School of Visual and Performing Arts (DSVPA), invites you to “Dazzling Hickok”, 3:00 p.m., Saturday, June 6, 2009, at 112 Webster Avenue, Rochester, 14609.  “Dazzling Hickok” is a production made possible by a 2008 grant from the B. Thomas Golisano Foundation to support a drama program in partnership with DSVPA for individuals with traumatic brain injury in partnership.  Area brain injury advocacy agencies and members of the community are invited to join us for a lively afternoon of music, skits and laughter.  Refreshments will be served.  Donations appreciated and accepted.  For more information about this program contact Heather Caton at 585-271-8640x104, hcaton@hickokcenter.org.     

The DSVPA, formed and incorporated in 2001, promotes and demonstrates the art of dance, music, drama, art, fashion design, and technical script writing through education and performances of the highest technical and artistic excellence.  The organization provides quality programs to the greater Rochester area, and collaborates with other arts organizations to add to the array of cultural resources offered by the community. 

About 5.3 million Americans are living with a disability that resulted from a traumatic brain injury related to impacts from motor vehicle accidents, violence or accidents at work or play.  Brain injury, however, can occur internally anywhere at anytime due to stroke or aneurism, seizure or illness.  People who have suffer brain injuries have to regain lost skills that the rest of us take for granted such as writing or typing, conversing with friends, folding laundry, and shopping for groceries.  Research suggests that drama therapy is an effective tool in achieving therapeutic goals including increased flexibility, higher self-esteem, personal growth and the overall enhancement of an individual’s life satisfaction. 

The Hickok Center for Brain Injury, with centers in Rochester and Newark, was founded in the mid-80s, and is a place where people with brain injuries can go to redevelop the skills they have lost, within the safety and support of people with similar experiences and professionals who understand their struggle.  Members set their own goals, design their own programs and utilize the agency’s staff in ways that are consistent with their own priorities toward independence and self-sufficiency.  We invite you to visit www.hickokcenter.org for more information about both our locations.

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