The VIPP Report: Miss USA Deshauna Barber will be in Louisville to speak at Black Achievers Celebration

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By Sherlene M. Shanklin

With scholarship as their main objective, the Chestnut Street Family YMCA Black Achievers program announces their keynote speaker for their 41st celebration.

Miss USA 2016 DeShauna Barber will be the keynote speaker.  The U.S. Army Reserve Captain will motivate young aspiring leaders to stay disciplined as they follow their dreams even when there’s a hardship not to stop trying to reach their goals.

Youth Achiever of the Year is Tajalia Tillman who attends DuPont Manual High School.

The 41st YMCA Black Achievers Celebration will be held on Saturday, February 22nd at the Galt House Hotel at 5:30pm.  Tickets are $100 per person and they can be purchases and the Chestnut Street YMCA or by emailing ljohnson@ymcalouisville.org.

The YMCA Black Achievers Program includes events such as Spring Break College Tours, Community Service Projects, Leadership training, ACT workshops, college & career fairs plus much more.

I have the great honor of announcing the scholarships and institutions they plan to attend.  For many families, this will be the first time they will hear the school and the amount of scholarship money their child will receive.  It’s truly an exciting moment and I have to say that when I received the long list of names and the amount of money they will get in scholarships it’s super impressive and I can only imagine what their families will feel on Saturday.

Congratulations to the scholars of the Chestnut Street Family YMCA Black Achievers.  Our future is in great hands with your leadership.

The VIPP Report: Raphael Saadiq makes a stop at Paristown Hall

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Saadiq writes about real-life situations that no one wants to talk about but necessary for healing and you get a chance to hear him live at Paristown Hall

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It’s exciting to see how much the entertainment circuit has grown over the years in the Bluegrass market. All types of genres, all forms of art and of course the area has some top notch venues.

Grammy Award winning R & B musician, songwriter and the man artists go to for collaborations will be in Louisville for a concert.

Raphael Saadiq will be at the Old Forester Paristown Hall on Monday, February 17th. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. and the show will begin at 8:00 p.m. with some new music off of his latest solo project, Jimmy Lee. It was released in August.

The former member of Tony! Toni! Tone! entitled the album after his late brother who died of a heroin overdose.  Through music, Saadiq will take you through the journey of addiction and later loss which many times causes confusion and sadness.

Over Saadiq’s 40 year career, he has many chart-topping hits from “Something Keeps Calling”, “Good Man” to “Ask of You”.  He’s produced songs for John Legend, Solange Knowles, TLC, En Vogue and the late Whitney Houston.

General admission tickets are $35.00 but if you feel like a V.I.P. experience that evening they have a premium ticket which will cost you a little more. Also, there’s a meet and greet ticket available.

The VIPP Report: Kentucky woman heads to the White House to be honored for entrepreneurship during Black History Month

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KENTUCKY NATIVE AND CEO OF DB BOURBON INVITED TO WHITE HOUSE TO BE RECOGNIZED AS A GAMECHANGER IN BUSINESS

(FRANKFORT, KY) In honor of Black History Month, DB Bourbon Candy’s CEO Robyn Stuart is invited to the White House in Washington, DC on Friday, February 21st to celebrate black entrepreneurship.

There will be a summit where Stuart and other business owners from all over the U.S. Resized_20180321_204200will get the opportunity to meet high ranking federal agency representatives and discuss the expansion of contracting opportunities for minority-owned businesses and the creation of more mentorship programs for minority entrepreneurs to collaborate with the private sector.

Stuart, a native of Lexington, KY will participate in a summit that begins at 7:30am.  Later in the date, at 5:00pm there will be a reception.  She says “The doors of opportunity just keep opening for me and my business.  I’m excited to represent the Commonwealth of Kentucky at the White House for this once in a life chance during Black History Month.  I plan to learn common practices of other successful businesses, then come home, implement and help others who are wanting a chance to grow their business.”

635907542947281631-DB-4DB Bourbon Candy, LLC can be found in various locations throughout Kentucky from the Kroger Company to the Muhammad Ali International Airport.  To learn more about Robyn Stuart and DB Bourbon Candy and how to place your customized order visit http://www.dbbourboncandy.com.

If you would like to setup an interview and/or invite DB Bourbon to your next event, please contact Sherlene Shanklin at sshanklin at vippcommunications dot com.

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History

In 2002, Stuart started her business after the passing of her mother Johnnye S. Cunningham   During the holidays, her mother would create the delicious treat as a family tradition. Robyn wanted to honor her mother, so she decided to start the business and make the original candy recipe apart of her business. With the support of Four Roses Distillery, Louisville Convention Center and Bourbon Country as well as the many events and activities she participates in everyone loves to see the wonderful creation that she produces.  From initially starting with candy the business has grown into developing other products such as chocolate covered fruit, bourbon cheesecakes to chocolate covered popcorn.

!cid_A431B594D7B4419F8E91FA0D5F1A9765@SherlenePCVIPP Communications is a full service public relations, event management and production firm headquartered in Louisville, KY with clients and/or projects all over the U.S. We can create, maintain and sustain your brand.  Our clientele range from small businesses, non-profits, corporate leaders, entertainment to current and retired professional athletes.  Contact one of our team members to see if we can assist you at info at vippcommunications dot com.  http://vippcommunications.com

The VIPP Report: Showcasing Kentucky Black Authors in Lexington at an Expo

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In celebration of Black History Month, it’s the Kentucky Black Authors Expo at the Lyric Theatre, 300 E. Third Street in Lexington on Saturday, February 22nd from 11:00am to 4:00pm.

Some of the authors featured will be Rev. Dr. Jim Thurman, Frank “X” Walker, Rev. Dr.C.B. Akins, Rev. Herbert Owens, Vanessa Sanford, Ron Spriggs, Dr. Junior Greenlee, Rosetta Quisenberry. James “Chali” Jones, Shonda White plus many other talented writers.

The Kentucky Black Authors Expo is free and open to the public.

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The VIPP Report: Ball N’ Out is common for Rupp Arena but Wild N’ Out takes over in March

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There’s some shows that you just can’t turn away from. I’m surfing the channels and I always have to stop on MTV’s Wild N’ Out. I consider myself pretty knowledgeable when it comes to pop culture but I literally learn something new every time I watch that show.  It’s a rap and comedy battle on steroids, performances by top artists and the latest in trends. With its resurgence of the show Nick Cannon has decided to hit the road.

Save the date of Tuesday, March 24th for Wild N’ Out in Lexington, KY.  The show will be held in Rupp Arena.

Fans of the show can expect some standup as well as some music performances.  Some of the cast members you will get to see on tour, DC Young Fly, Karious Miller, Emmanuel Hudson, Justina Valentine and DJ D-Wreck.  The 27-city tour kicks off in March with the lineup changing up for each city along with some surprise guests.

Tickets start around $30.00.  You can purchase tickets at LiveNation.com, Ticketmaster.com and the Lexington Center Ticket Office.

If you have a story idea, send it to me at thevippreport@vippcommunications.com.  Follow us on Twitter @thevippreport @vippcomm.

The VIPP Report: Celebrating the Legacy of Black Louisville with entertainment memories from the past

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Jazz at the Top Hat 2020

(Louisville, KY) Music is healing to the soul and jazz is the essence of the heart and when you combine the two, you celebrate music and its legacy.  Legacies Unlimited Inc. presents Jazz At The Top Hat Club featuring the jazz renderings of saxophonist Rick DeBow and The Palm Room Crew on Friday, January 24th at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, (KCAAH) located at 1701 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd formerly known as Old Walnut Street at 7:30pm.

Although members of the group CRISIS have not played as a unit for a number of years, they will come together as The Palm Room Crew for this Jazz At The Top Hat event.

We invite you to The Top Hat Club, it’s the place to be and to be seen as we celebrate the legacy of Black Louisville. Tickets are $35 for general admission.

On Saturday, January 25th, it’s “Ladies Night Out” with The Walnut Street Revue.  We take you back to the 1930’s, 40’s and 50s.  Louisville legends song stylist Tanita Gaines and showstopper Sheryl Rouse will perform.

Ken Clay, founder of Legacies Unlimited says “Its two evenings full of great music and memories.  We take you down memory lane as we remember our music legends from Louisville in particular Old Walnut with music powerhouses of today.  We will also honor an entertainer on that Saturday with the Helen Humes Jazz Legend Award.  We’ve only given the award to a handful of people over the years, but we feel the particular artist we will honor is so deserving.  We invite you both evenings as we party Old Walnut Street style.”

The award is named in honor of Helen Humes. A jazz and blues singer from Louisville, KY who was a vocalist with Count Basie’s band.  Enthusiasts and historians have documented that Humes was a vital voice in the swing-era.  Helping them shape and define the sound of vocal swing music.  The only child of a school teacher and her father was the first black attorney in the city.  In 1937, Basie asked Humes to join his band, replacing Billie Holiday. The Louisville music icon  recorded her last album in 1980 and died from cancer in 1981 at the age of 68 years old.

Tickets for The Walnut Street Revue are $50 for general admission and $60 for cabaret seating. (limited space)

Celebrating the Legacy of Black Louisville is presented by Legacies Unlimited in partnership with the KCAAH.  It is made possible through support from Christy Brown, the Owsley Brown II Family Foundation, Hardscuffle Inc., WLKY-TV and George & Mary Lee Fischer.

Tickets for the both JAZZ AT THE TOP HAT and WALNUT STREET REVUE are available at Better Days Records in Lyles Mall or at 1765 Bardstown Road. You can also purchase them online at redpintix.com.

Please announce and/or post our event to your entertainment/event calendar.  To set-up an interview, please contact VIPP Communications at  info@vippcommunications.com.

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The VIPP Report: Here’s To A “New” Year With A “New” Menu at Superchefs

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Darnell Superchef Ferguson

SUPERCHEFS WILL CATER TO CUSTOMERS WHO WANT TO SPLURGE OR BE HEALTH CONSCIOUS WITH A REDESIGN OF CURRENT DISHES AND A CREATION OF A NEW MENU FOR THOSE WHO DESIRE A HEALTHIER CHOICE

(Louisville, KY) Superchefs, one of the fastest growing restaurants and fan base with locations in Louisville and Alabama have a clear vision on 2020 when it comes to giving their customers options when it comes to their menu. Starting, January 3rd, we will introduce a new menu.  The older recipes will get a face lift and then for our vegan customers they will be some great dishes for you to try.

Darnell “Superchef” Ferguson says “I’m so excited to announce this new menu.  I’ve always wanted to cater to the whole community instead of just a section.  This is a complete menu.  My team and I went back to the drawing board and updated our famous dishes and then we create dishes that our vegan patrons are going to love.  Instead of making it an option, it will be a part of our comprehensive menu.  I invite you to come in and try it.”

With the new menu, you will see the growth of the celebrity chef but the execution and presentation.  His range and his knowledge of food science has grown since he created his first menu seven years ago. You will see the quality of food and service will reflect his current skill set.

We are also looking for the “superhero” in you.  We are giving away a “golden ticket”.  Youth (up to the age of 17 years old) excelling in school, and the community will be rewarded with a ticket that gives them access to eat at Superchefs for life (or as long as the restaurant is in business).  If you know someone who is deserving send it to assistant.superchef@gmail.com.

Make sure you follow Superchef for big announcements in 2020.  We have some exciting news to share with you in the coming days.

If you would like to setup an interview and/or check for availability for engagements, contact VIPP Communications at info@vippcommunications.com. Darnell “Superchef” can do an in-studio tasting and/or cooking segment if you would like to schedule.

 Follow “Superchef” on his social platforms– IG: @superchef_23; Twitter @superchef_23 & FB: @darnell superchef ferguson

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For additional information about Darnell “Superchef” Ferguson visit:  www.eatsuperchefs.com/.

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VIPP Communications is a full service public relations, event management and production firm headquartered in Louisville, KY with clients and/or projects all over the U.S. We can create, maintain and sustain your brand.  Our clientele range from small businesses, non-profits, corporate leaders, entertainment to current and retired professional athletes.  Contact one of our team members to see if we can assist you at info at vippcommunications dot com.  http://vippcommunications.com