Exeter, Rhode Island -- The fifth annual Kiki’s Garden Sunflower Soiree will be held
on Saturday, July 25, from 12 to 6 p.m. at Camp Canonicus in Exeter. The Sunflower
Soiree is the major fundraiser for the Krista “Kiki” Weller Burns Foundation, a
nonprofit organization that “Seeds Good Deeds” by supporting community non-profits
and raising funds for art scholarships given annually to local youth.
Activities at the soiree will include swimming and boating, games for kids and
adults (featuring mini golf and bowling), photo booth, face painting and
storytelling, a children’s art gallery in the sunflower labyrinth, princesses &
pirates, hayrides, art & fairy garden workshops, art competitions and a full day of
musical entertainment by local bands. In addition, Yang Ki Yin JiuJitsu will conduct
a martial arts demonstration and class. A sunflower sale, book sale, white elephant
sale, raffles and penny auction are also planned. The award winning culinary
students from The Exeter Job Corps Academy will prepare an all day barbecue along
with a gourmet dessert café and bake sale with proceeds to benefit the Scholarship
Fund and Community Initiatives.
Prior to the Sunflower Soiree, the community is invited to a kickoff event called
Rockin’ for A Cause on Thursday, July 23, from 6 p.m. to midnight at Dan’s Place in
West Greenwich. The event features food and drink, a 50/50 raffle, and two great
bands: Rhode Island’s own Erik Narwhal & the Manatees and The Sometime Boys from
Brooklyn. Dan’s Place will donate 15 percent of each bill to Kiki’s Garden, The
Krista Weller Burns Foundation.
Kiki’s Garden was created in 2010 in memory of Krista Weller Burns, who passed that
year at the age of 36, one of many courageous young women whose dreams were cut
short by breast cancer. Krista was a budding screenwriter and actor with a passion
for musical theater and film and dreamed of cultivating joy through her art. In
establishing her foundation, Krista’s family honors her spirit of love and goodwill
by providing scholarships to qualified students who exhibit a passion for the arts.
Tickets for the soiree are $5 at the door. Admission is free for children under the
age of 12. For more information about the Sunflower Soiree and the Krista Weller
Burns Foundation, visit: www.kikisgarden.org.
