A trio of sisters, tied by blood and by their dedication to children will be honored with the California State Lottery's "Heroes in Education" award on "The Big Spin®" show which airs statewide August 12, 2006. Alicia Rubio, Laura Marquez and Leticia Parsons, founders of the Myra Linn Dance Club in Riverside, will be presented with the award by Lorenzo Lamas, star of Renegade and The Bold and the Beautiful.
In 1999, Alicia Rubio, Laura Marquez, and Leticia Parsons founded the Myra Linn Dance Club and used music and dance to bring self discipline and a higher standard of behavior, appearance and academics to the elementary school kids in the program. All dancers are required to maintain their grades and must show their school spirit by wearing their uniforms proudly each school day. No student who wants to join is turned down for membership in the group, which is made up of 60 fourth, fifth and sixth graders. By not excluding anyone, each child is challenged to express his or her particular brand of skill, leadership and dedication to a team effort.
Also teachers, the sisters spend much of their free time on weekends and after school practicing with the kids, working at community and neighborhood events and fundraising. They take care of any and all of the group’s production needs, such as painting backdrops, handling props, manning the sound system and driving the kids around. The sisters’ contributions to education that go above and beyond the call of duty have brought pride to the school’s students, parents and the community and for that, they are truly "Heroes in Education."
The California State Lottery's "Heroes in Education" award has been presented monthly on the Big Spin show, since 1999. The Lottery partners with celebrities to present these awards, which recognize special individuals who volunteer time and resources to their schools and communities.
For more information about the Myra Lynn Dance Club, please visit http://mldc.org/index2.html