University music group raises money for local schools
by Kate Slaboch, Outpost staff
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Members of Pan Ramajay perform at Sigma Alpha Iota's annual benefit concert. Photo by Kate Slaboch |
A year of planning has finally paid off. Sigma Alpha Iota, the women's music fraternity at the University of Nevada, Reno, organized a concert to donate money to Washoe County music departments. Two local junior high music programs and one high school music program were chosen as the recipients of funds from the annual Benefit Concert, held Wednesday, March 29 in Nightingale Concert Hall. The concert featured Bay Area steel drum band Pan Ramajay and brought in a sizable audience from throughout the community.
The purpose of the concert was to further young musicians' love of music, and through the donation of every dollar made in ticket sales, Sigma Alpha Iota was able to donate about $300 to each music program. Each donation from the fraternity was matched with a gift certificate from Carpenter's Music World.
Benefit Concert Chair Joanna Love has been organizing the concert since last August when the school year began. "Last year was very successful because we had local groups perform and they drew a large crowd. We wanted to bring a new group to Reno, and we wanted it to interest the community, not just the university crowd." Pan Ramajay was chosen because they are more modern and multi-cultural.
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Committee members Julie Cummings and Josian Zdunich get last-minute instructions from Benefit Concert Chair Joanna Love before the concert begins. Photo by Kate Slaboch |
Love remembers the road to the final event: "The first thing we did was form a committee, since we knew the event would take a lot of hard work. I spent a lot of time looking at the notes from last year, but I had to add a lot of my own ideas since this concert is so different (from last year's)..." Last year's performers were the Reno Silver Dollar Barbershop Chorus and the Reno Jazz Orchestra, who helped Sigma Alpha Iota to raise $1000 to split between the two schools chosen for last year's benefit.
The Eta Omicron chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota participates in many community service activities throughout each school year, but this is the one time they fundraise for the school music programs. Other activities they do include assisting with Practice-A-Thons for band students at Mendive Middle School and White Pine High School in Ely, canned food and clothing drives, and answering the phones during pledge events at the local PBS television station.
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Posted April 14, 2000
Copyright 2000 Nevada Oupost
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