I am participating in an amazing event called the 24hr Show, a musical prepared in 24 hours to raise money and awareness for deaf and hearing-impaired children. You may not realize this, but *50% of deaf children never become literate!* To help combat this problem, organizations have started to provide literacy programs to help these young people to develop the skills to read and write.

   One such organization is No Limits, a non-profit that is based in Culver City, just a few miles from my school, UCLA. No Limits meets the auditory, speech and language needs of deaf children and enhances their confidence through its nationwide theatrical arts program as well as through its after school program in Los Angeles. The No Limits Educational Center provides 4 hours a week of speech therapy, a bi weekly reading classes, parent education courses, and audiological services, at no cost to the families. It was founded in 1996 by Michelle Christie, M.S. ED, a teacher for the deaf with over 18 years experience in the entertainment industry. Some achievements of this amazing organization include:

   § Michelle Christie was honored as one of the top 100 heroes in the country by the Volvo for Life Awards.

   § No Limits was recently featured on *OPRAH* as a positive and uplifting program for special needs children.

   § No Limits was voted "Best Arts Program in the Country" by *Parents* Magazine, out of 1100 nominees.

   § No Limits was profiled in The Learning Channel's "A Slice of Life" for making a difference in the lives of its oral deaf children.

   § No Limits was honored with the "Special Recognition Award" by the California

Educators for the Deaf and "Service to Mankind" by Sertoma. Please help me raise money for this great organization. I will be helping put on an entire show in just a day to provide an example that it is possible to accomplish something given limited resources. The hope is that we are able to provide the resources for the wonderful kids that benefit from the opportunities at No Limits. Follow the link below to my webpage on FirstGiving, a safe online donation site that allows you to easily donate to my cause.

 Thank you for your time and generosity!