Special Event

Mullet Madness goes wild at fundraiser for Kidsource

The 1980s are totally tubular at Mullet Madness, a fundraiser for Kidsource Kids programs.
The 1980s are totally tubular at Mullet Madness, a fundraiser for Kidsource Kids programs.

The '80s in all their gaudy, Day-Glo glory, will live again as Kidsource Therapy presents its Mullet Madness fundraiser -- a chance to show off with awesome '80s flair and dance to some righteous tunes.

No, "business in the front, party in the back" mullet hair is not required. But to fit in, it's best to give the wardrobe some '80s-inspired thought. As event advertising and social media chairman David Bise says, some guests show up with a little decade style but others "come in dressed to the teeth."

Mullet Madness

7-11 p.m. Friday, Next Level Events, 1400 W. Markham St., Little Rock

Tickets: advance $35, at the door $40

(501) 315-4144

mulletmadness.net

Tight-rolled jeans? Check. Prom dresses covered in ruffles and bows? Check. Hair teased, ratted and sprayed until it's rock-hard? Check. And touchstones like Back to the Future, Miami Vice, Ghostbusters, Madonna, Huey Lewis and Wham! create a rich sartorial field to mine.

The party keeps the '80s theme going with the music, performed by Tragikly White.

"It's a blast!" Bise promises.

The purpose of all this pop-culture-infused merriment is to raise money for Kidsource Kids, the nonprofit division of Kidsource Therapy.

Kidsource Therapy is an out-patient clinic with locations in Malvern, Arkadelphia, Benton, Little Rock and North Little Rock that provides physical, occupational and developmental therapy and speech-language pathology for clients from birth to 21 years old. Services are provided in the home, at school, in clinics and in the community.

This isn't the first Mullet Madness . In the past, it provided funds for Freedom Reigns, a hippotherapy program. This year, money raised will benefit a variety of Kidsource Kids programs. In addition to the hippotherapy program, there's a Special Olympics team and a sensory Santa photo opportunity for children who can't go to the mall for their pictures with Santa. They're also building a playground that will be open to the community but will be built with special-needs children in mind.

Bise, who is also an occupational therapist with Kidsource Therapy, says the goal is to change views of therapy and open the world to the children they help: "We're trying to push the idea that therapy is so much more than just in the clinic. We want it in the community and get these kids to have just the same opportunities as any other children."

Some of the Kidsource clients will be at the party from 7-8:30 p.m. helping to sell T-shirts (with a Back to the Future DeLorean on the back) and help with the silent auction. They'll also sell raffle tickets for the chance to win a Citizen watch for men or a Louis Vuitton purse for women.

They hope having the children there will give people a better idea of the organization's mission and to let people see where their money is going.

But they also want everyone to have a totally rad time.

As Bise says, "You can't not have a good time when you see people dressed with their hair frizzed 3 feet out and wearing fluorescent wind pants."

Weekend on 08/27/2015

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