Keep Jenni Dancing!

My niece Jenni is a bright, hard-working 15-year-old with a talent and passion for dance, but her dream is being threatened. She's earned a place as a member of a team that travels the country for competitions, which -- as any of you in the dance world know -- can be expensive. Jenni and her mom work to pay for lessons by cleaning the dance facility, and Jenni also works at the studio as an apprentice teaching two ballet classes to young dancers, all while taking AP classes in high school. She has even won scholarships to help defray the cost.

My brother, a firefighter, was able to take on second and third jobs so they could afford to encourage Jenni to pursue her dreams. However, all that changed when he suddenly lost his vision in one eye. He is being forced to retire, and though he will get some sort of pension with the Fire Department, he is unable to do his other jobs. Without this extra income, Jenni's participation in upcoming competitions is threatened. Jenni's mom also has severe vision problems that keep her from working.

Other relatives and I have chipped in to pay for the most recent trip, but we can't afford to help more at this time. I know Jenni would never ask anybody for money -- she's indicated she'll just give up the competitions -- but I hate to see that happen. It's rare for a teenager to have such a convergence of passion, talent, and diligence. She deserves to keep dancing.

I know there are a lot of worthy causes out there, but if everyone who sees this gave just 5 or 10 dollars, it would be more than enough. Please consider helping. Thanks for reading this, and God bless.