Dr. Elouise Joseph, Youth Programs Manager (left) with emcee Tony Bush, Jr. (far right) and All Stars rappers at the Bay Area All Stars Talent Show on Nov. 17 at Sweet’s Ballroom.

This fall season, the Bay Area All Stars continued to grow and has received increased recognition for its work with young people from the Bay Area’s poorest communities. On September 6th, Joyce Dattner, All Stars Project Board Member and Director of the Bay Area All Stars, received the "In Harmony with Hope Award" from the Elfenworks Foundation, whose mission is to bring domestic poverty to the top of the public agenda. The award was presented to Dattner in recognition of the work of the Bay Area All Stars at the opening of Stanford University's Center for the Study of Poverty and Inequality and came with a gift of $25,000.

On October 1st the Bay Area All Stars held its fifth annual fall benefit dinner,
"A New Partnership for Youth," at the beautiful Empire Ballroom at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel in San Francisco’s Union Square. The festive evening, which honored Doug Drummond of Cisco Systems, was hosted by a team of formally-attired All Stars youth hosts.  The dinner raised $76,000 for All Stars programs in the Bay Area.

On November 25th, Joyce Dattner and 22 year-old Eulanna Allen appeared on KTVU's Channel 36 community affairs program, "Q&A," to get the word out about the work of the All Stars. This was the second time that the All Stars has been featured on the show. Host Roy Avila also served as Master of Ceremonies at the All Stars October benefit.

The New Year at the Bay Area All Stars will kick off in with a celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday on January 21st, featuring performances of poems, letters, and raps written by All Stars young people expressing dreams they wish to share with Dr. King.   From there, we’re looking forward to another exciting year of growth in 2008!

For more information about the Bay Area All Stars, contact Caroline Donnola cdonnola@allstars.org.