Delany Lofts Hosts Art Contest to Celebrate the Future of Harlem with Children's Aid Society

February 22, 2008

Contacts:
Food Shelter
Lorraine Gimblett, (917) 523-2327, lorraine@food-shelter.com
Joanne Jordan, (917) 673-9305, joanne@food-shelter.com

NEW YORK (December 21, 2007) – POKO Partners, LLC, a socially responsible real estate company and developer of Delany Lofts, is holding an art contest with the Children’s Aid Society’s Dunlevey Milbank and Frederick Douglass centers to engage the youth of Central Harlem and inspire them to imagine a better future.

Students ranging from ages five to 17 will be able to submit works of art that depict “A Glimpse of Harlem’s Future,” in a variety of mediums ranging from essays to two-dimensional stills in the form of sketches, photographs or paintings. As part of POKO’s core philosophy of community and economic revitalization, the company will donate $5,000 to the Children’s Aid Society and each winner in the four categories will receive an iPod Nano valued at approximately $150.

Delany Lofts, which is named after Sadie and Bessie Delany, whose inspiring life story was depicted in a New York Times Best Seller and Broadway play, were daughters of slaves who overcame economic hardships and racial discrimination during the 1920’s in Harlem. Located at 237 and 247 West 115th Street, Delany Loft will host an Art Contest Reception in March where the finalists’ art will be on display in the lobby of the two loft buildings and a judge’s panel made up of representatives from POKO Partners, Children’s Aid Society and community leaders will announce the winners.

“Delany Lofts reflect the strength and character of the surrounding Harlem community. We are very excited to be working with and supporting an organization like Children’s Aid Society, which also provides great programs to enrich communities,” explains Kenneth Olson, CEO of POKO Partners, LLC.

Steps away from the subway, cross-town bus and both Morningside and Central Parks, Delany Lofts provide owners with the option of flexible living in loft homes and reinforce POKO Partners’ corporate philosophy of developing high quality housing at competitive prices. Comprised of two, newly constructed seven-story buildings, Delany Lofts boasts 24 spacious 1-bedroom, 1 bath loft homes and 12 1-bedroom, 2 bath loft home duplexes with terraces ranging from $420,000 to $1,000,000 and are exclusively marketed by Warburg Marketing Group. For more information, please visit www.delanylofts.com.

About POKO Partners, LLC
POKO Partners LLC is a socially responsible real estate company founded in 1993 by Kenneth Olson and has developed over $220 million of property, including over 500 units of housing and 500,000 sf of commercial space. POKO Partners is actively engaged in the development of high quality, competitively priced mixed use and residential developments, community revitalization, waterfront redevelopment in both urban and suburban locations within the metropolitan area.

About The Children’s Aid Society
The Children’s Aid Society was founded in 1853. It is one of the nation’s largest and most innovative non-sectarian agencies, serving over 150,000 of New York’s neediest children and their families with a network of services that includes community schools, neighborhood centers, camps, adoption and foster care services, teen pregnancy prevention, education, health and recreation. For additional information, please call 212-949-4938 or visit www.childrensaidsociety.org.

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