Third-year title sponsor Philadelphia Federal Credit Union will open call for entries to Philadelphia schools on March 3
Philadelphia, Pa., Feb. 21, 2017 – Philadelphia Federal Credit Union (PFCU) today announced it is seeking to sponsor a Philadelphia-based, teacher-led team of students to build and operate a sculpture for this year’s PFCU Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby and Arts Festival, which will take place on May 20. The deadline to submit an application to be considered for support by PFCU is March 24.
The combined derby and arts festival – which, for the past three years, has been a joint effort of the New Kensington Community Development Corporation (NKCDC) and East Kensington Neighbors Association (EKNA) – was established to draw residents and visitors to the burgeoning Frankford Avenue Arts Corridor and foster neighborhood revitalization in Kensington. The sculpture derby is a design competition and parade of human-powered vehicle floats striving for an array of awards, and the arts festival, held on Trenton Avenue from Norris Street to Dauphin Street, consists ofmore than200 local arts and food truck vendors, along with live arts demonstrations and performances.
“The idea behind sponsoring a derby team was born from our people-first mission of investing in our community,” said James McAneney, President/CEO of Philadelphia Federal Credit Union, adding that he has seen firsthand the impact of local residents’ innovation and creativity on the neighborhood since PFCU’s Fishtown branch opened in 2013. “Through our derby team sponsorship, we hope to engage local schools, residents, and businesses to join together in creating a sculpture that represents Philadelphia, and ideally, the East Kensington and Fishtown communities we proudly call home.”
Eligible teams will consist of students in grades nine through 12 from a high school or vocational/technical school located in Philadelphia and must be overseen by at least one teacher or after-school program leader. PFCU will provide the selected team with $4,000 to support the costs to build a derby sculpture to operate in the 2017 PFCU Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby and Arts Festival.
A panel of judges composed of representatives from PFCU and NKCDC asks that applicants respond to the call for entries on or before March 24. The winning team will be notified on March 31.
“We’re grateful for PFCU’s generosity as a derby sponsor over the past three years,” said Sandy Salzman, Executive Director of NKCDC. “Their dedicated involvement in the derby has helped make this a can’t-miss annual event that draws people from all across Philadelphia and its surrounding suburbs into our neighborhood and strengthens our sense of community pride.”
The official call for entries opens on Friday, March 3, with a kickoff happy hour event hosted by the NKCDC at Bottle Bar East at 1308 Frankford Ave. from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. – part of the NKCDC First Friday community initiative that draws attention and traffic to businesses along the Frankford Avenue Arts Corridor in Fishtown. Teachers and after-school program leaders age 21+ who are interested in overseeing a student team are invited to attend to learn more and speak with a PFCU representative.
To view the PFCU derby sponsorship call for entries, visit pfcu.com/derbyteam.
For the latest announcements on this year’s Philadelphia Federal Credit Union Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby and Arts Festival, please visit kensingtonkineticarts.org and on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
About Philadelphia Federal Credit Union
Founded in 1951, PFCU is a member-owned, not-for-profit financial institution serving Philadelphia and Columbia County, Pa. PFCU is among the top five credit unions in the Greater Philadelphia area, with 11 branch locations, more than $1 billion in assets, 112,000 members, and more than 400 Select Employee Groups (SEGs). PFCU returns its profits to members in the form of higher dividend rates, lower loan rates, better services, and investment in the community. For more information, visit www.pfcu.com and connect with PFCU on Facebook and Twitter.
About New Kensington Community Development Corporation
NKCDC's mission is to strengthen the physical, social, and economic fabric of the community by being a catalyst for sustainable development and community building. For more information, visit www.nkcdc.org and connect with NKCDC on Facebook and Twitter.
About East Kensington Neighbors Association
EKNA was founded in 2004 with help from the community organizing arm of the NKCDC. EKNA’s mission is to organize the voice, concerns, and actions of East Kensington residents. Geographically, East Kensington is bound by Norris Street to the south, Frankford and Trenton avenues to the east, Lehigh Avenue to the north, and Front Street/Kensington Avenue to the west. For more information, visit www.ekna.org.
Media Contact:
Brownstein Group for PFCU
Jen Micklow
215-735-3470 x154 (office)
jmicklow@brownsteingroup.com
Media Contact for NKCDC:
Lowell Brown
Communications and Development Specialist
215-427-0350 x137
lbrown@nkcdc.org