Chicago Children’s Choir Fall Benefit Red Jacket Optional to Debut New Englewood Choir CHICAGO (May 31, 2013)

Chicago Children’s Choir, under the direction of President and Artistic Director Josephine Lee, will host its annual Red Jacket Optional fundraising gala, celebrating the Choir’s 57th anniversary, on Oct. 18, 2013 at 6:00pm at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel. The Choir hopes to raise one million dollars to continue to offer music education to nearly 3,500 Chicago children, of which 72 percent come from low-income families.

Red Jacket Optional will bring together hundreds of philanthropic Chicagoans for a night of performances by 300 children in addition to the top-level Voice of Chicago. The gala will also debut the Choir’s new afterschool program, the Englewood Neighborhood Choir, with their first-ever performance.

“Englewood is a neighborhood with a rich musical tradition,” said Lee. “Our new program will be an extension of this tradition, helping train the next generation of musicians and future leaders, while giving them a safe place for expression and creativity.”

This year, the Choir will honor John Hatherly, President of Wynnchurch Capital, and his wife, Christina.

Christina Hatherly is the former Director of Choral Programs of Chicago Children’s Choir and served on the Board of Directors for six years.

The event will begin with a cocktail hour and conclude with a lively after party with champagne and gourmet desserts. DJ Matt Roan, Ambassador Board Chair, will spin high-energy jams to keep the party moving.

Individual tickets are available at $500 and table sponsorships begin at $5,000. Contact Emily Hallock at ehallock@ccchoir.org for further details.

ABOUT CHICAGO CHILDREN’S CHOIR

Giving children a voice – that is what Chicago Children’s Choir has been doing since 1956. Founded during the height of the Civil Rights Movement as a way to unite children from different backgrounds, Chicago Children’s Choir is a nonprofit organization committed to providing multicultural choral music education. Serving nearly 3,500 children annually through choirs in 60 public schools, afterschool programs in 8 Chicago neighborhoods, DiMesion, an ensemble for young men, and the internationally-acclaimed Concert Choir – known as the Voice of Chicago, Chicago Children’s Choir shapes the future by inspiring and educating youth through the pursuit of musical excellence. Of the children served, ages 8-18, the majority come from low-income homes and would have no other access to music education. The Choir raises $2 million annually in order to ensure that music is part of every child’s life. Under President and Artistic Director Josephine Lee, the Choir has received a Chicago/Midwest Emmy Award for the 2008 documentary Songs on the Road to Freedom and been featured in nationally broadcast television and radio performances, most recently on Oprah, NBC’s Today and the PBS series From the Top: Live from Carnegie Hall. For more information, please visit www.ccchoir.org or Youtube.com/CCChoir.

Contact:
Erin Phipps, Communications Manager
312-849-8300 ext:*16
ephipps@ccchoir.org

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