A New Pennsylvania Non-Profit
Corporation to Benefit Children with
Auto-Immune Diseases
Philadelphia, PA ---July 2007 ---LifeKnocks, Inc. is a newly created Pennsylvania non-profit corporation with a mission to create a summer music theatre camp for children diagnosed with lupus and other autoimmune diseases. Under the direction of LifeKnocks' President Cynthia DiClaudio and Vice-President James Weiner, this endeavor will be like no other summer theater arts camp. With a specialized curriculum and activities designed to fit the needs of children whose daily lives can be wrought with pain and physical and emotional turmoil, the practice of creative imagery is the core of the LifeKnocks summer music theatre camp.
Under the supervision of University of Pennsylvania School of Law, LifeKnocks was chosen from hundreds of submissions to assist in the creation of the LifeKnocks 501(c)3 non-profit corporation. DiClaudio and Weiner state, "Our summer camp will be a unique experience for children because it will incorporate the sport of boxing, dance choreography, painting, music technology, computer design and creative writing." Visualization through imagery will be the primary focus of the LifeKnocks camp.
The LifeKnocks dance ensemble recently performed at Philadelphia's annual Sunoco Welcome America Fourth of July celebration, the Bernard Hopkins Middleweight Boxing Champion of the World Parade and at the Rumble at the Lagoon in Essington, PA produced by Five for Life boxing promoter PJ Augustino. Not only was the dance ensemble's performance at the Fourth of July celebration featured on WPVI-TV Channel 6 by news correspondent Michele McCormack, DiClaudio has appeared twice on Philadelphia's Comcast Newsmakers where she presented the LifeKnocks mission. Additionally, LifeKnocks has received an invitation to participate in Sunoco Welcome America's 2006 events including the annual Philadelphia Thanksgiving Parade.
In the summer of 2004, DiClaudio and Weiner began production of the LifeKnocks music film documentary. Currently in post-production under the direction of co-owner Michael Brand of Lafayette Hills Film Studios of Lafayette Hills, PA; the theme of the film, ÒAs human beings we get knocked down in the Ôring of life,' but through determination and spirit we get-up once more," will soon send the message of the LifeKnocks' mission. The documentary pays homage to a "true fighter," Darlene Croce; who inspired its theme by her celebration of life! Darlene overcame the obstacles of living with lupus. Croce was a firm believer in creative imagery. She utilized this spiritual tool daily to combat the physical pain associated with the disease.
Physicians from Thomas Jefferson University and Abington Hospital; Drs. Bruce Smith and Mark Lopatin respectively; along with Dr. Kathleen Heaney from the Mayo Clinic of Minnesota will assist in the formation of the LifeKnocks summer camp. Recent medical research by Dr. Harry Shen of New York University Hospital has proven that an individual's physical pain can be reduced for several hours per day through imagery.
While lupus is an autoimmune disease that affects over 1.5 million Americans, almost 75% are women. African, Hispanic, Asian and Native American women are two to three times more likely to be affected by lupus. Like lupus, Crohn's disease, scleroderma, mediated diabetes mellitus, Sjogren's syndrome, polymyositis and multiple sclerosis are autoimmune diseases.
Through a group of dedicated artisans, doctors, choreographers, writers, musicians and dancers, DiClaudio and Weiner will produce an interesting and exciting summer camp to enhance the lives of children who suffer with disease. This camp's goal is to inspire children not to Ôlive their disease' but to allow their creative spirit to flourish.
The concept of LifeKnocks was realized when Di Claudio began boxing at Augie's Gym in South Philadelphia as a way to reduce her physical and emotional stress she suffered after the death of her sister Darlene Croce, who at the age of 35 died from complications of lupus. While at Augie's Gym, DiClaudio was inspired by professional boxers who introduced her to their world. ÒAs I trained with these men I envisioned the art of dance," says DiClaudio. She explains that watching a boxer's feet is much like watching the feet of a dancer; henceforth, the LifeKnocks idea was created. ÒIt was boxing that got me up and out of bed each day when I thought I would never get-up again," says DiClaudio. She not only has a passion for dance, but also for music.
During these boxing lessons and after the passing of her sister in June 2002, DiClaudio wrote the song LifeKnocks paying homage to boxing and her sister. She and her band of musicians recorded the song in May 2003 at Gamble and Huff International Records on the Avenue of the Arts in Philadelphia. The song was released on WDAS radio in October 2003 during the coverage of the annual Lupus Loop walk-a-thon in Fairmount Park. At this time she began working with Brand and fellow filmmakers William Horton and Abe Holtz, both of Philadelphia. The concept of a music video of the song and a documented film of the creative process was Weiner's concept. He explained that Darlene's spirit and love of life was important to remember. The journey to create a summer music theater camp in Darlene's honor soon began. In February of 2004 DiClaudio created a memorial scholarship in Croce's name at Philadelphia Foundation to send children with lupus to summer camp. With that idea, the seeds of LifeKnocks germinated.
The LifeKnocks music film documentary will take the audience on the life journey of Darlene Croce, a renaissance woman, who was diagnosed at the age of fifteen with lupus. This film depicts four stages of Croce's life where she got knocked down by the disease but always got-up again even stronger. Darlene did not Òlive her disease" as demonstrated by her exuberance of life. Darlene had over thirty hospital stays over twenty years, yet attained marvelous accomplishments. She graduated summa cum laude from Temple University in finance and real estate; was co-president of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Lupus Foundation; organized fundraising events for lupus; had her poetry published in Cosmopolitan Magazine; received writing awards from the Philadelphia Writers Conference; was an avid painter, pianist, writer and illustrator of children books; created the Living Well with Lupus documentary for WHYY-TV Philadelphia; and spoke on television and radio about lupus.
Darlene was in an MBA program at Temple University when she made her final trip to the hospital. Posthumously, Darlene received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Lupus of America in Washington D.C.
The method of imagery practiced by Darlene on a daily basis inspired her to "get-up once more" and at the end of each day to reflect upon her accomplishments. This is the core of the LifeKnocks camp.
The LifeKnocks music film documentary was produced from September 12 to September 18, 2004. More than 200 dancers from Philadelphia dance companies such as Koresh, PhilaDanco, Chosen, Sheila E, University of the Arts, High School of Creative and Performing Arts, the Rock School, Jeanne Ruddy Dance and the Rainbow Connection at the Prince Music Theatre auditioned to be part of the music film documentary.
Throughout the summer of 2004, the Prince Music Theater's Artistic Producing Director Marjorie Samoff allowed the creative process of the LifeKnocks project to unfold. At the Prince Music Theatre, Flying By Foy, an international company, donated specialized equipment which allowed theatre professional David Hale, who flew Peter Pan on Broadway, to fly an actress twenty feet into the air on the stage of the Prince Music Theater depicting Darlene's spirit rising from her hospital bed for the final stage of her life in the documentary.
Boxers from Bernard Hopkins' "camp" donated their expertise to work tirelessly with the LifeKnocks dance ensemble to authenticate boxing moves in the choreography. Ringside Boxing from Kansas generously donated boxing gear and equipment for the dancers. Piladelphia hip-hop choreographer Clyde Evans, JR. collaborated with DiClaudio, who envisioned the moves of the dancers. Additional sponsorships and donations were made by the LCI Blue Devils National Cheerleading Squad, the Joe Hand boxing gym, the Maltepes boxing gym, the Rose Edwards Drill Team, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and the Greater Philadelphia Film Office. Philadelphia restaurants Tony Luke's (who makes a cameo appearance in the film), Geno Steaks, Gia's Pizza, Nick's Original Roast Beef, Olga's Pizza, the Amish Bakery, Potito's Bakery, McDonald's, Italian Bistro and Bucca di Beppo generously supported the LifeKnocks project. For more information about LifeKnocks visit www.Lifeknocks.org.
Cynthia DiClaudio
LifeKnocks Organization
4753 Hartel Ave
Philadelphia PA 19136
267-575-9390
Lifeknocks@gmail.com