Mead, Whitworth orchestras partner to benefit Crosswalk teen shelter
For Release: March 20, 2009
Contacts:
Mead High School Orchestra
& the Whitworth Symphony Orchestra present a
Crosswalk Benefit Concert
Thursday, Apr.16, 2009 at 5:30 p.m
St. Luke Lutheran Church (9706 N Division)
tickets available at the door
- adults: $8 suggested donation
- students: $5 or needed items* suggested donation
Spokane, Wash.—The orchestras of Mead High School and Whitworth University will be featured in a concert benefitting Crosswalk teen shelter to be held Thursday, April 16, 2009, at 5:30 p.m. at St. Luke Lutheran Church (9706 N Division).
Tickets will be sold at the door and are $8 suggested donation for adults. The suggested donation for students is $5 or needed items (*such as brushes, combs, socks, toothbrushes & toothpaste), which will be collected at the door. All proceeds and donations will benefit the Crosswalk teen shelter.
Times are tough for both education and for the arts; other music teachers might be tempted to bury their heads in the sand—but not Mead High School orchestra instructor Dorothy Baldwin. The group already spends two full days each school year touring local nursing homes to brighten lives with their music. But Baldwin knew there was more outreach they could do and saw an opportunity to raise a few spirits and a few dollars.
“One of my primary goals as an educator is to give my students a chance to go out into the community and get their music doing positive things both for them and for others,” explains Baldwin. “Helping them use their talents to raise money and awareness for the Crosswalk shelter seemed like a perfect way to do that.”
She enlisted her husband Phil, who directs the Whitworth University Symphony Orchestra, to involve his students in the project and garnered a grant from the Washington Education Association’s Eastern Washington Uniserv Council to underwrite the costs and ensure all the funds collected at the concert will go directly to Crosswalk. Gourmet deserts will be provided by Just American Deserts.
“This concert is a win-win. My students benefit from the educational experience of rehearsing and performing with a more experienced orchestra and at the same time they are able to make a difference for their peers at Crosswalk who are struggling. Phil and I both want our students to realize that not everyone has the opportunities they have had. When they go into the world with their eyes open, they can make such a difference.”
About Crosswalk: Founded in 1985, Crosswalk is an emergency shelter, a school drop-out prevention program, and a group of lifesaving and life-changing programs dedicated to breaking the cycle of youth homelessness. In an average year, Crosswalk serves 1,000 youth. Emergency shelter is available 365 days a year and all services are free and voluntary.
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