Page 278 - From the Outhouse 4 -21

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~ Mr. Willie and Mrs. Doris Dennis ~

The Dennises were super-productive contributors to the operation of Tajiri Arts as Board Members. Mr. Dennis never missed a

meeting and always financially met all the requirements as a Board Member, often going beyond the call of duty. They were eager to
make Tajiri a better After School Performing Arts Program. When their grandson came to live with them from New York, they

immediately enrolled him in our classes. The Dennises serviced their Entrepreneurship class by providing transportation on field trips,

refreshments for special workshops, and even assisted in maintenance of the classroom, according to Mrs. Camilla Barnes, their
instructor.

The highest compliment the Dennises paid to Tajiri was to invite Mrs. Sharon Robinson of New York City, who is the daughter of
Baseball Hall of Famer, Jackie Robinson. She was our honored guest speaker at the Tajiri Arts First 519 Pledge Drive. It was such an

honor for all of us to be in her presence. In addition, her visit was special because Mr. Jackie Robinson had come to play baseball in

Sanford with the Brooklyn Dodgers while at one of their training camps! It was not a successful visit for him because Sanford rejected
him due to the color of his skin. This story is told in The Jackie Robinson Story made for television in 1950. The film 42 was made in

2013, and it further emphasized the racial bias that persisted throughout Mr. Robinson’s Major League career. In both of these films,
the Brocks’s home was featured, where the Robinsons lived during their short stay in Sanford, Florida. When Mrs. Robinson arrived

in Sanford, Mayor Linda Kuhn presented her with the Key to the City. We also took her on our Sanford Out of the Dust: Ancestorial

Path to Dignity Tour, which spotlighted the actual home in which her father and mother resided during their short stay in Sanford.
We also took her to visit the Sanford Stadium where her father was rejected. The honor of having Mrs. Sharon Robinson visit Sanford

and spend time with us was because of Mr. and Mrs. Willie Dennis. This was indeed a historic moment for Sanford and Tajiri.

The Dennises are due a standing ovation. Thank you! Thank you! We applaud your monumental effort!