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IMPACT NOW strives to

unite profits, non-profits

Nearly 200 people gathered at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center on Thursday to help build connections between business and community leaders at IMPACT Silver Spring's annual breakfast event, IMPACT Now!

The event focused on creating a "paradigm shift'' that will help business owners achieve their goals while working with community leaders to solve tough, longstanding community issues. Attendees included County Executive Isiah Leggett, Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Maryland Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown.

Keynote speaker Seth Goldman, co-founder of Bethesda's Honest Tea, challenged the audience to take on a new vision of reciprocity. He shared examples from his business model and from his recent community initiative, Bethesda Green.

The morning included a check presentation by Pepco, one of the breakfast sponsors, which donated $70,000 to the community nonprofit Interfaith Works. Other event sponsors included PFA Silver Spring, Bank of America and the Montgomery County Community Foundation.

Dance ensemble

in the spotlight

Mya, a Grammy Award-winning singer now competing on "Dancing With The Stars," began her career as a dancer with Tappers With Attitude Youth Ensemble in Silver Spring. In the early '90s Mya joined TWA, which is now in its 19th season and is made up of 17 dancers ranging in age from 10 to 18. TWA received the Metro DC Dance Awards for "Outstanding Youth Performance" in 2004 and 2007, and was selected by the China Performing Arts Agency to perform at the 2008 Beijing International Dance Festival, as well as at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago this past summer. Tappers With Attitude operates under the direction of Victoria Moss, with Assistant Directors Lisa Swenton-Eppard and studio founder, "DC's Tap Lady," Yvonne Edwards. TWA's mission is to preserve and promote tap dance as a percussive art with an emphasis on the jazz tradition, as well as to foster a new generation to carry on the art. More information on Tappers With Attitude is available at

www.tapperswithattitude.org.