Three families who have never before been to the remarkable world of Disney will soon walk through the gates of Magic Kingdom for a five day, four night visit thanks to Baton Rouge entrepreneur Kelly Sills.
Representing the diversity of America, the families are of different ethnicities and come from different walks of life.
“I wanted to give other parents the opportunity to create lasting memories with their kids, particularly when so many families have struggled in numerous ways this past year,” Kelly Sills says. “2020 was not easy for anyone, but the silver lining for all of us should be greater appreciation of our families and our communities.”
That appreciation should extend to all people who create the colorful and beautiful tapestry that is America. One of the founding principles of the nation is inclusiveness - diversity is at the heart of what makes America great, he said.
As diverse ethnic groups, organizations and corporations around the world recognize Juneteenth—otherwise known as Emancipation Day or Freedom Day— America remembers hate crimes that marr the nation’s history like the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921. Kelly Sills believes more should be done to encourage diversity, equity and inclusion.
“We have a responsibility to others and to ourselves to be accepting and kind – it really is that simple,” Sills says. “There is inherent beauty in diversity. Our differences and our similarities should be celebrated.”
With that in mind, Sills has donated $5,000 to the River Road African American Museum located in Donaldsonville, Louisiana.
“In celebration of Juneteenth, America must act to confront and criticize its dark past to preserve the truths of history as part of a larger effort to protect our future, starting in our local communities. We’ve come a long way since the founding of Juneteenth in 1865, but we still have a lot to learn and work to do, collectively,” Sills adds. “Fostering a sense of caring, compassion, equality and brotherhood should be a primary focus of all people, particularly during these challenging times. Life is not easy for any of us, so we must help each other whenever we can.”
Kelly Sills does not want to limit the message of hope to just the three families who are going to Disney World or the people who visit the museum.
As a man of faith, he is also teaming-up with Baton Rouge-based Minister Mardia Scott (www.mardiascott.com) to make the message of hope more widely available by partnering with Mardia for a t-shirt campaign called “His Love is Amazing,” found at https://hisloveisamazing.com/.
“I have always admired Mardia and his message of love, faith and hope. It is an incredible feeling to be able to partner with him on this project and bring some optimism to the south. His message is generative, absolutely restorative and undoubtedly essential. All I can say is that sometimes God works in remarkable ways,” Kelly Sills says. “Mardia has always driven home the message that God loves everyone – and faith is for everyone. His (God’s) love is amazing.”
About Kelly Sills
Kelly Sills is a Baton Rouge-based serial entrepreneur who has spent his entire adult life launching successful businesses. He has always believed in creating companies with a conscience. The ability to positively impact others through entrepreneurship and philanthropy is at the core of his philosophy.
Kelly Sills
Kelly Sills
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