DEPEW, N.Y. (WKBW) — From 3 to 73-years-old, Danceability in Depew is a home for more than 140 students who love to dance. The nonprofit started 13 years ago for children and adults with special needs.
Robin Bishop is a co-founder, now serving as executive director. As the nonprofit kept growing, more space was needed. Last fall, Danceability moved to George Urban Boulevard in Depew.
"We moved to our forever home," Bishop said. But you may not even know it's there if you drive by. That's because the sign out front reads 'Elaine's Flower Shoppe.'
"This was their old location, but their sign still remains," Bishop said.
The nonprofit did buy their own sign. Six months after moving in, the nonprofit raised $2,000 and ordered the sign from Gulf Development. But there were problems.
"I mean it looks nice, right? But it's the wrong color and it's way too big, so it just sits," Bishop said. She contacted the company numerous times for several months to try and get it fixed. Eventually her calls and emails went unanswered. Shortly after, she said the company sent her a letter saying they went bankrupt, which left the nonprofit with a $2,000 sign sitting next to the tap shoes.
"That money could be much better spent on scholarships, equipment, anything else. -- better than sitting here," she said.
The Danceabilty family is hoping someone can help. To them -- a sign will make a spot at the barre feel more like home and help draw the attention of the people who drive past every day because there's always room for one more dancer.
"We want to spread our mission across Western New York and we do what we can, but this sign is a big piece of it, saying here we are, we're here for you," she said.
Several calls from 7 Eyewitness News to Gulf Development for comment were not returned Friday night.
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If you'd like to help, you can contact Danceability at info@danceabilityinc.org or call 716-986-2591.
