FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ø “Ready! Set! Sing! II” A Concert to Benefit Snohomish High School Choral Scholarship
Ø February 2, 2008, 7:30 PM
Ø Historic Marysville Opera House 1225 – 3rd Street, Marysville, WA
Ø Admission: Adults: $20.00, Seniors/Students: $15.00, Children (6-12) $10.00, Family: $60.00
January 2, 2008 Snohomish, Washington It is certainly not easy to pay for college nowadays. It is even harder to find scholarship money for hard-working, dedicated students. So how can people help?
Patrick Castro, retired Snohomish High School Choral Director, decided to donate money toward that end. He found that there was no scholarship money available at Snohomish High School specifically for students who wanted to study vocal music after their graduation. But he felt that donating money was not enough. So he contacted former students and put together a Scholarship Committee and they created the Patrick Castro “Excellence In Vocal Music” Award. Their goal is to raise an initial fund of $8,000.00, with all money to be administered by the Snohomish Education Foundation.
Their second fund-raising effort will take place in February. Castro has organized a concert to be given for the sole purpose of raising scholarship money for graduating seniors who want to continue their studies in singing. The concert called “Ready! Set! Sing! II”, named after the initial concert last year, will be presented on February 2, 2008, at the Marysville Opera House 1225 – 3rd Street in Marysville, WA at 7:30 PM. Participants in this show will all be performers who graduated from Snohomish High School and are now professional singers or are studying to be professional singers.
A wide variety of music will be presented, touching on most all musical tastes. From musical theater to jazz to classical, the concert will truly be eclectic. The cast of singers will feature singing actress Billie Wildrick, a 1996 Snohomish High graduate who now sings on the stage of Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theater. Most recently she sang the role of Cinderella in Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods. Miss Wildrick has also starred in Leonard Bernstein’s Wonderful Town presented last spring at The 5th Avenue. Other performers will include jazz singers Michael Johnson, Maret Mills Unruh and Rani Weatherby. Musical theater will be the theme for tenor, Jesse Bettis. Singing more in the classical style will be soprano Michelle Boseck. Popular Seattle-area jazz pianist, Eric Verlinde, will be heard performing some of his own recently-recorded compositions.
Piano accompaniments will be provided by Verlinde and by Kelley Lyday, a highly-respected local church musician and piano teacher.
According to Patrick Castro, retired choral conductor, “All of these musicians are first rate—they are all stars in their own rite! Most of them have garnered their reputations in the greater Seattle area. However, drummer, Donn Pratt, is coming all the way from Boston, Massachusetts to play in this concert. I know the audience will thoroughly enjoy the enthusiasm and love for music that these great musicians will offer.”
Tickets will be sold at the door. Admission for Adults will be $20.00, Seniors/Students $15.00 and Students (age 6 - 12) $10.00.
For more information contact:
Executive Committee Co-Chair: Ms. Tammy Holten 360-563-1042 (W), 425-397-9190 (H)
Executive Committee Co-Chair: Mr. Solon Scott 425-750-1404 (C), 360-658-5283 (H)
Patrick Castro, Concert Producer 425-876-4857 (C), 360-659-5887 (H)
Snohomish Education Foundation 360-568-5292 (O)
Coach Armstrong Memorial Statue Dedication Set
The dedication of a life-size Memorial Statue in honor of Snohomish High School football coaching legend Dick Armstrong is set for Friday, November 16, at 2:30 p.m. at SHS’s Veterans Memorial Stadium. The statue, portraying the beloved football coach directing a player back onto the field, was extremely well received when unveiled at the SHS-Marysville football game last month.
Anyone interested in attending the memorial dedication is welcome to be part of the activities on the southeast corner of the SHS football field.
The Coach Armstrong Memorial committee, working with the Snohomish Education Foundation, has raised more than $34,000 in the past 18 months to pay for the bronze statue and the perpetual Dick Armstrong Scholarship fund. The first annual Armstrong scholarship has already been awarded to a SHS senior.
Denny Schuler, a running back during Armstrong’s first year at SHS, said, “This is a rare opportunity to honor a loyal friend and great man whose influence helped shape the character of hundreds of young athletes in ways that positively impacted many lives. We encourage everyone to join in the memorial dedication on the 16th.”
Local coordinator Ron Knutson said it’s not too late to buy a “paver” to be placed at the base of the Coach Armstrong Statue engraved with your family and/or company name. To buy a paver, contact the Snohomish Education Foundation at 360.568.5292 or Knutson at 425.238.3250.
“Enriching Lives One Student at a Time”
Please join the Snohomish Education Foundation in our
“Fund Matching Campaign”
We need your help to continue our mission of “Promoting, Enhancing and Supporting Public Education in the Snohomish Community.” “We Believe Quality Education Promotes Healthy and Viable Communities.” One of our supporting community members has pledged to the Foundation a $100,000 Challenge Grant. Over the next two years, every dollar you donate will be matched up to $100,000.
Snohomish Education Foundation was established in 1986 to enhance public education for the Snohomish School District. Working together with the community and the school district, we have been able to accomplish many of our goals to support education in Snohomish.
Each year with your donations, we have been able to increase our funding for important programs. The Foundation has:
- Awarded Mini Grants of $1,643 in 1996 and now $28,579 in 2005
- Awarded Scholarships of $4,250 in 1996, and now $51,800 in 2005
- Raised a total of $117,340 for classroom grants since 1996
- Raised a total of $219,587 for Scholarships for our high school students since 1996
- Provided an additional $28,922 for special needs students, including medical requests since 1999.
The Foundation has made a positive impact in every school in the District. Some of your donated funds have supported:
- The award winning Machining Pathways CAM/CAD program at the High School
- Computer and Technology Upgrades
- The Shoe Fund
- National Teacher Certification
- Acquisition of innovative teaching tools, which aid students with learning disabilities
- “Night of the Arts” program at the High School
- “Day of Science” program at Machias Elementary
- Valley View’s environmental wetlands project
- Future Problem Solvers’ contestants at the national competition
- Students with unusual medical needs
Izi Loveluck, a Centennial Middle School science teacher received a grant to enhance her classroom and noted, “The Foundation makes possible the impossible.”
Research shows that an additional $20 per student can have a “significant” impact on student achievement, and $40 per student can effect “systemic change.” For the number of students attending Snohomish School District, the Foundation would need to raise $360,000 to effect “systemic change”.
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