Looking Back on the April 15^th, 2020 Spring2ACTion Event

The Harmonizers raised over $30,000 on Wednesday as a participant in the City of Alexandria’s “one organized day of giving for Alexandria not-for-profit groups” called Spring2ACTion. It has been a huge income source for our chapter the last few years, so our chapter leaders (headed by executive director Randall Eliason) asked the members to help.  This was a particular challenge to the chorus during this time of shut downs and cutbacks and social distancing due to the covid1- virus pandemic.

Randall asked members to send invites to others outside the chapter to donate to our page,. He sent sample email messages for guys to use with the link. He reminded everyone to seek as many donations as possible from non-Harmonizers and to ask them to donate during the “power hour” from 3-4 pm we had chosen. He also created some excitement and challenge by adding a contest among the tenor-lead-bari-bass sections.
Wednesday nite at 7 pm there was a Zoom gathering for all to hear the results as they came rolling in at the end of the day. Here is a summary from Randall:

“Once again, congratulations and thanks for an extremely successful day. This was one our most successful S2A ever.”

“A few donations were still trickling in (the site remains open all week) but the total on Thursday morning, April 16^th, was $31,832.  Our original goal was $20,000.”

“We also won $1,000 in prize money - $500 for the 3-4 pm power hour, and $500 for third place in total dollars raised by Free Agent Fundraisers (basically the separate pages for the sections, which were treated as individual fundraising pages).”

The grand total for this year included $9,000 in matching gifts combining major support  from Ross Johnson and Susan Williams, Liz Birnhaum and Dave Kohls, Terry Reynolds, Dean Rust, Al Herman, Stan Quick, Clyde Crusenberry, Bruce Roehm, Chuck Hunter and Randall Eliason and Cheri Kiser.  We thank all of them for their encouraging gifts.

“Total number of donors during the event this year was 449. In 2018, the prior record, it was 431. Last year it was 310.”

Artistic director Joe Cerutti sent out his thanks to all: “Way to go team, can't thank you all enough for your donations/and or posts/emails! Congratulations, all!!!”

Finally, the results of the section competition: Going late into the evening the basses and leads were locked in a pretty tight battle for first. The basses were slightly ahead - and then a mysterious anonymous donor called only "Harmonizers Bass Strong," swept in about 11:30 pm with a $1,000 donation on the bass page and put them on top. Here are the final results:

Basses: $178.36 per man; Leads: $132.96; Baris:  $117.67; and Tenors: $68.33

Congratulations to the basses!  And thanks again to our S2A section leaders, Matt Doniger, Ben Watsky, Brad Jones, and Devin Gerzof - they did a great job.  More details will follow about the celebration party in the basses honor once we are able to party again.

Until next time – editorjack!

(This message is prepared for your review if you were there, for your information if you had to miss, and as a historical record of the great things going on each week during the 71^st year of the Alexandria Harmonizer Chapter. —YeEd