Performer hoping to play for poorest kids

Emily Ellison, a music therapist at MidHudson Regional Early Education Center/Preschool for Children with Special Needs in Poughkeepsie who often performs in Beacon, is raising funds to join the clown doctor Patch Adams on a trip to entertain the children in a poor neighborhood in Costa Rica.

Emily Ellison
Emily Ellison

The Gesundheit! Institute, founded in 2006 by Adams (who was portrayed in a 1998 film by Robin Williams), focuses on “humanitarian clowning” and community development focused on health care. The institute organizes eight trips a year. Ellison has raised about $700 of $2,000 needed for airfare and the purchase of simple musical instruments and trinkets to share with the children. Donations can be made at youcaring.com/emily-ellison-590433 or by sending a check to Emily Ellison, P.O. Box 103, Chelsea, NY 12512.

Behind The Story

Type: News

News: Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.

Articles attributed to "staff" are written by the editor or a senior editor. This is typically because they are brief items based on a single source, such as a press release, or there are multiple contributors, such as a collection of photos.