By Bari Cohn
Staff Writer
Mira Costa Choir Department members volunteered at the Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair 10 Kilometer Run on Oct. 3 as part of one of the Choir Department’s largest fundraisers of the year.
At the 38th annual MB 10K run, the choir members volunteered by singing the national anthem, working at the water stations, and helping with the clean up at the end of the race. The Race Committee in exchange for volunteers, donated money to the Choral Department.
“This is the main volunteering opportunity for the year, and it is important because stuff like this keeps our events running,” Advanced Women’s Choir member and sophomore Brie Hilgers said. “We will be doing other fundraising events throughout the year, but this a very big event for our department.”
In the past, the Race Committee has given scholarships to high school seniors living in Manhattan Beach and donated money to create an exercise facility at Manhattan Beach Middle School.
“Volunteering at the race is fun and simultaneously beneficial to our program,” sophomore and Advanced Women’s Choir member Kalea Conrad said. “It helps us to be active in supporting the community, while at the same time the community is helping to support us.”
According to Conrad, while helping out both the community and Choir Program, the members of choir are able to bond with each other in a fun and casual setting.
“I believe that participating and having opportunities to volunteer and lend a hand is necessary in society,” Conrad said. “We are able to see how the things we do can make an impact on others’ lives and influence someone else’s, which is truly an amazing thing.”
The money received from the Manhattan Beach 10K Run and other sponsors, goes to paying for music, events, clothes, buses and the many other things that benefit the Costa choir.
“As of now we are not sure what other fundraising opportunities we will have this year,” Hayden said. “But we are planning to do more because I absolutely believe that volunteering is a very beneficial thing to not only the community, but the students as well.”
According to Hilgers, this run is very important because these kinds of things are what keep the choir events running, and what funds all of the necessary things needed for the program to run smoothly.
“The money goes to many important things that are necessities for our department,” Choir Co-President Amanda Han said. “One of the most important of these being the salary of our pianist and co-teacher Mr. [Mark] McCormick.”
According to Han, McCormick is essential to the choir department because of his incredible musical talents, as well as his constant encouragement and support to all members of the choir and his Advanced Placement music theory students.
“It feels good to participate in fundraising and volunteer opportunities, and know that I am helping both the community and the Choir Department which has been my home for the past three years,” Han said.
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