CAMDEN A week after Queen Latifah gave $10,000 to the Camden Sophisticated Sisters dance team, its dream of finding a permanent home is coming closer to reality.
The nationally recognized dance organization, which has swelled to 400 members and has had more than 4,000 participants over the years, has always operated in rented or borrowed space.
The team was practicing in the city's water tower before the site had to be closed for repairs.
Queen Latifah's gift, paired with a $100,000 donation from Beyonce last year, should energize the fund-raising campaign to get the group a permanent location, founder Tawanda Jones said.
"We definitely want to spend the funds for a building, and we have a few places we've looked at," Jones said.
The team is considering the old Medical Arts Building on Haddon Avenue, a property on Pine Street, and the old Woolworth Building on Broadway.
"We're just trying to see what's what and continue to fund-raise," Jones said. "We've always wanted our own permanent facility. Although people offer to help, there's always a conflict because people have to use it for the things they need."
The team's growth has also required finding it a space of its own.
"When they start pouring out of a building, that's when it becomes a problem," Jones joked.
She encouraged others to consider donating. "I'd ask people just keep us in their prayers and if they want to support a great organization and help us save lives, it's not just about CSS, it's supporting youth, period."
When she appeared on The Queen Latifah Show on Wednesday, Jones commented on the dismal high school graduation rate in Camden - about 50 percent - and said of her team members, "I'm proud to say that every single one of my babies graduates."
- Julia Terruso