KANSAS CITY, KANSAS -
A fundraiser for a local non-profit group got the surprise of a lifetime when a well-known hip hop group decided to stop by for a visit. But then they almost immediately left, leaving lots of people disappointed and angry.
The Gateway Highsteppers, a Kansas City, Kansas, dancing and drumming corp, organized the fundraiser held last Saturday at Kansas city, Kansas, Community college. The event, the groups largest fundraiser of the year, included a dance competition which brought in nearly 2,000 kids and parents.
"This is our big way of making money to repair our bus, to purchase uniforms, feed our children, offer tutoring," said Laveda Davis of the KCK Highsteppers. She says that a promotional group out of Atlanta offered to have the hip hop group Pretty Ricky stop by the event to meet and greet the children, a prospect that she says thrilled her.
But when the group arrived at the event, Davis says that they refused to enter the building.
"The manager said if we didn't send half of the money made in the fundraiser...they weren't going to enter the building," said Davis, who says that when the kids inside found out that Pretty Ricky wasn't coming inside, the event turned to mayhem.
"(The kids) were upset and crying, young girls crying," said Davis.
The promotional group out of Atlanta which organized the visit confirmed Davis' story to FOX 4, saying that Pretty Ricky arrived at the event, saw the large crowd, and demanded a cut of the receipts.
But Blue Star Records, Pretty Ricky's label, calls the allegations a lie, saying that the group thought that someone was charging money to see them, which they never agreed to, and said that they simply wanted to get paid.
Blue Star Records says that the group does promotional events all of the time, and that Pretty Ricky is willing to come back and do an event for the Highsteppers, but Davis says that nobody has talked to her about that, and that she is not interested.
The label explained that nobody ever told Pretty Ricky that the event was a fundraiser, but Davis says that's not true.
"It wasn't about the youth or Kansas City," said Davis. "They were about themselves and making a profit."
The Gateway Highsteppers, a Kansas City, Kansas, dancing and drumming corp, organized the fundraiser held last Saturday at Kansas city, Kansas, Community college. The event, the groups largest fundraiser of the year, included a dance competition which brought in nearly 2,000 kids and parents.
"This is our big way of making money to repair our bus, to purchase uniforms, feed our children, offer tutoring," said Laveda Davis of the KCK Highsteppers. She says that a promotional group out of Atlanta offered to have the hip hop group Pretty Ricky stop by the event to meet and greet the children, a prospect that she says thrilled her.
But when the group arrived at the event, Davis says that they refused to enter the building.
"The manager said if we didn't send half of the money made in the fundraiser...they weren't going to enter the building," said Davis, who says that when the kids inside found out that Pretty Ricky wasn't coming inside, the event turned to mayhem.
"(The kids) were upset and crying, young girls crying," said Davis.
The promotional group out of Atlanta which organized the visit confirmed Davis' story to FOX 4, saying that Pretty Ricky arrived at the event, saw the large crowd, and demanded a cut of the receipts.
But Blue Star Records, Pretty Ricky's label, calls the allegations a lie, saying that the group thought that someone was charging money to see them, which they never agreed to, and said that they simply wanted to get paid.
Blue Star Records says that the group does promotional events all of the time, and that Pretty Ricky is willing to come back and do an event for the Highsteppers, but Davis says that nobody has talked to her about that, and that she is not interested.
The label explained that nobody ever told Pretty Ricky that the event was a fundraiser, but Davis says that's not true.
"It wasn't about the youth or Kansas City," said Davis. "They were about themselves and making a profit."
