By Brett Grassmuck

Staff Writer

Recently, St. Louis Rams cheerleaders Julie and Lori were on hand to help the St. Louis Arts and Education Council kick off their annual Workplace Giving Campaign, which draws in a significant portion of the council’s yearly donations.

“The ongoing partnership between the St. Louis Rams and the Arts and Education Council reinforces that fitness, education and the arts are all important components in becoming a well-rounded person, said Karen Klaus, director of corporate giving for the Arts and Education Council. “St. Louis loves the arts and loves its Rams. We are fortunate to live in a community that is saturated with high-quality entertainment opportunities in sports and the arts.” 

The Arts and Education Council’s annual Workplace Giving Campaign is a way to allow St. Louis employees to give back to the council and keep art happening in St. Louis. The campaign is underway and runs through May 2.

‘The Arts are for Everyone’ is the theme of this year’s campaign, which brings in one-third of the Arts and Education Council’s total donations each year. St. Louis employees are encouraged to donate to the Arts and Education Council via payroll deduct to help support local arts programs including local theater, painting, music, cinema and much more.

“The Council is grateful to have the St. Louis Rams share in the investment of this innovative project that is impacting the future of arts and education, and is a major force in the revitalization of Midtown’s creative and cultural district,” said Jim Weidman, Arts and Education Council president.

Cheerleaders Julie and Lori were on hand to kick off the Workplace Giving Campaign at a breakfast featuring 40 of the Arts and Education Council’s Workplace Giving coordinators and guest speakers Agnes Wilcox from Prison Performing Arts and Tim Norman, an alumni of the Workplace Giving program.

Julie and Lori posed for photos with guests and signed autographs as well as gave away tickets to 2008 Rams home games as part of the attendance raffle. Dr. Aurelia Hartenberger of Lindbergh High School and Debby Gabris of U.S. Bank will be able to watch the Rams live next season as they walked away with the prize.

The cheerleaders’ visit to the campaign kickoff was not the first and will certainly not be the last time the Rams and the Arts and Education Council team up. Rams players have participated in a variety of events for the council, a favorite organization of Rams president John Shaw and his wife, Lori, and there is a designated ‘Rams Huddle,’ a special Rams-themed room, in the Centene Center for Arts and Education, the home of the Arts and Education Council.

“The St. Louis Rams support of the Centene Center for Arts and Education, the headquarters of the Arts and Education Council, underlines the importance of the ongoing partnership between our two organizations,” Weidman said. “The Rams Huddle is an integral part of the facility’s arts-friendly environment, providing a space where members of the resident 14 emerging and established arts organizations can meet and collaborate.” 

For more information on the Arts and Education Council, or to make a donation, visit www.keeparthappening.org.