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This calendar year the Little Apple Barbershop Chorus chapter gave $8,459.20 supporting our musical legacy encouraging vocal musical education in our schools, communities, and nation. We sing for the fun and enjoyment of it, but are able to give back to our communities by supporting the music programs to our schools and communities. In fact, nearly one-half of our charitable contributions this year went to local and state organizations and schools. We are able to make these contributions because of the time and devotion each of us gives to our Singing Valentine program and our Spring Show. Additional support comes from individual monetary contributions.

We provided funds to the Harmony Foundation for a total of $4,308.70 with $2,500 being provided from the chapter treasury with the balance coming from individuals and chapter quartets. Leonard Purvis carried our check to the Parade of Checks at COTS (Chapter Operations Training Seminar) last month. $4,150.50 or 49.1% of our dollars were for our local and state communities. These contributions are very important in relating to and maintaining positive relationships with our communities who support us and our mission and who enjoy our music. Based on our membership of 68 at the end of last year, our per capita giving is $124.40 or with our current membership of 66, our per capita giving is $128.17.

Below is a tabular list of our contributions for 2003.

Little Apple Barbershop Charitable Contributions - 2003

Parade of Checks at COTS for Harmony Foundation $3,852.00

Eleven Public School Music Teachers Grants $2,348.00

Manhattan Band Shell $1,000.00

Donation to the First United Methodist Church $ 500.00

Harmony Foundation in Memory of Ray Sharp $ 400.00

Manhattan Arts Center $ 250.00

Watch for Silent Auction for Harmony Foundation $ 56.70

St. George Elementary. Music-Children's Exploration $ 52.50

TOTAL $8,459.20

Press releases about the music grants given to the eleven teachers were sent to the local newspapers where the schools are located. These individual press releases were sent requesting that these releases be published. The newspapers selected were The Manhattan Mercury, The Daily Union, The Smoke Signal, The Topeka-Capital Journal, The Emporia Gazette, The Council Grove Republican, The Ottawa Herald, The Independence Daily Reporter, The Wilson County Citizen, The Hugoton Hermes, and The Oakley Graphic.

The first paragraph of each release told how much was granted to a teacher and what the teacher would purchase with the money. Additionally, I used the information on the grant application to tell how the purchased program, music or boomwackers would enhance the music program of the school.

The following two paragraphs were used in each press release.

These eleven grants were given to teachers in elementary, middle, and high schools across the state.

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