BRATTLEBORO — A family-friendly celebration to benefit the Haiti Orphanage Sponsorship Trust will take place on Saturday, May 6, at 118 Elliot in Brattleboro.
The evening begins with a circus performance for children and families at 5 p.m., followed by dinner and live Senegalese Rock and Afro-Pop music by M'Bolo.
Kevin O'Keefe's One-Man Circus-in-a-Suitcase is “an enthralling, whimsical celebration of the imagination,” according to a news release. From his suitcase an entire circus emerges: tent, band, lights, and a series of boisterous, magical, and zany characters. But the most important performers emerge from the audience, through a dialogue between the theatrical personalities and the audience.
The evening culminates in a performance by M'bolo, a Senegalese-American band that plays high-energy West African dance music.
M'bolo, which means “together” in Wolof, the language of Senegal, was founded by lead singer/percussionist Cheikh Ngom, who began singing, dancing, and playing sabar drums at the age of four. The group's guitar, bass, keys, and drums form “a rhythmically intricate lattice of propulsive licks, snaking leads, and hypnotizing grooves, punctuated by the rapid-fire attack of the sabar drums and the explosive energy of Ngom's dance moves,” according to the news release.
This performance will benefit Foyer Evangelique Orphanage, located in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, which was founded by a group of Haitian educators in response to the devastating 2010 earthquake and is supported locally by the Haiti Orphanage Sponsorship Trust.
HOST is a grassroots nonprofit created by Brattleboro residents Mariam Diallo and Sheila Humphreys to ensure that the needs for food, education, medical attention and other essentials of the orphanage children are met.
Dinner, provided by Tito's Tacqueria, will be available for purchase, starting at 6 p.m., and a portion of the proceeds will go to support the work of HOST in Haiti.
There will also be a 50/50 raffle and a silent auction. Among the items available for bid are gift certificates to Burrow's Specialized Sports and other local businesses, a premium electric bike consultation from V-Bike, gift certificates for Ben & Jerry's ice cream, and more.