Elland Road thank you for Kids for Kids’ Val
GLITZY DO: Val with husband Melvyn, visitors and some of her troope enjoyed the special night.(NS)
IT was an evening of glitz and glamour for a special anniversary celebration that one lady will certainly never forget.
This year Kids for Kids, the Morley based dance troope, are celebrating their 30th year and wanted to say a huge thank you – in their own special way – to the group’s founder, Val Cust.
Val, who founded the group alongside Mel Cust and Wendy Taylor, in 1982, was treated to a surprise glitzy evening at the banqueting suite at Elland Road, complete with music, dancing, ladies on stilts, gifts and even monkeys. The event was organised by David Halliday, 30, who still dances with the older section of the troope.
He said: “The ladies were picked up by a chauffeur driven Mercedes and while en-route the driver pulled over and handed them a box containing instructions to put the enclosed blindfolds on.
“We had around 200 people gathered the banqueting suite for their arrival and were led along the red carpet.”
Walking through the door they were met with lots of cheers and applause – along with ladies on stilts, dressed in black and white feather outfits.
David said: “We had a local vocalist called Jill Ryder who was fabulous and sang through dinner. We had a fantastic dance show from Attitude Dance Academy, followed and The Gingerbread Man from Sky1’s Got to Dance.”
There were tears shed as the speeches were made and the group presented Val, Mel and Wendy with a star that had been named and registered as Kids for Kids.
David said: “Everybody then danced the night away with the stilt walkers dressed in boogie wonderland outfits and three cheeky gorillas and their handler on stilts caused havoc with out guests.
“I would like to say a big thank you to Karen Mitchell and Helen Evans who were a great help with the organising such a fantastic night.”
Val, who founded the group with the aim of keeping children busy while encouraging them to help children less fortunate than themselves through charity fundraising, said she is still on a high from the evening’s events.
“I didn’t have a clue about any of it,” she said.
“My daughter Angela told me to get ready and for my husband, Melvyn, to put his tuxedo on as we were going out for a special meal.
“It’s our 45 wedding anniversary this year too, so at first I thought it was something to do with celebrating that. I knew something was happening, but didn’t know what. We were handed boxes in the car with instructions to put a blindfold on. There was a red carpet when we got there and I think I was in a lift at some point!
“When the blindfold was taken off – what a big surprise. It was amazing. How they got everyone to keep quiet, especially the kids, is beyond me.
“There were former dancers there, people who I hadn’t seen in a long time. It was fantastic. I can’t thank everyone enough. It’s taking me a long time to get over all the excitement. It was very emotional and absolutely wonderful what David did. He is a very kind man.”
Val said she is so proud of Kids for Kids and all of their achievements.
“We’ve raised around £38,000 for charities through the years and it’s thanks to everyone, dancers, leaders, friends, family, my husband and daughter. I could not have done it without them.”
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Weather for Leeds,Yorkshire
Monday 20 May 2013
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