Anonymous donor buoys fund-raising hopes

Granite State Choral Society is excited to announce that they have been approached by an anonymous supporter who has offered to donate up to $3,000 to the choral group. That donation, however, has a challenge associated with it: The amount must be matched by the end of December 2015.

Granite State Choral Society recently observed their Fortieth Anniversary season. The December 2014 presentation of Messiah commemorated the first performance ever done by the group almost 40 years to the day. The celebration then continued with a premier of newly commissioned music "Rochester" at a gala event in March. The group concluded their anniversary season with a joint concert with the Strafford Wind Symphony at the Rochester Opera House in May, where they again sang "Rochester" along with other selected pieces.

"This year has been an exciting and positive one performance wise," said GSCS President Liz Tonkins-Agea, "but we've encountered some financial speedbumps. Despite actively seeking out grant options, working to engage new sponsors and donors, as well as continuing our normal fund-raising efforts, GSCS fell short of its financial needs for the 2014/2015 season due to some unanticipated costs related to presenting the performances."

"As a nonprofit we depend upon donations and sponsors, as well as fund-raising," Tonkins-Agea continued. "Which is why we are so excited that this supporter has come forward with such a generous donation. It is a first for us and demonstrates that our efforts to promote the Arts are resonating in the area. But we need to raise an additional $3,000. We are up for the challenge and are reaching out to our surrounding community to help us. GSCS is positive that musical arts enthusiasts in both business and private sectors, as well as our members and families will be willing to donate a gift, in any amount, towards this goal so we can continue to enrich our town and the seacoast area with choral music."

Granite State Choral Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. A gift of any amount may be mailed to Granite State Choral Society, P. O. Box 1431, Rochester, NH 03866-1431, or donated online at www.gschoralsociety.org. All gift donations will serve to reach our match goal of $3,000 and are tax deductible. Funds raised by this matching donation challenge will be applied to the GSCS operating budget to offset those unforeseen expenses.

Based in Rochester, GSCS is a non-auditioned community chorus dedicated to presenting quality choral performances, ranging in styles from classics to Broadway, and to promoting the appreciation of the choral arts. Its membership, open to all ages 12 and up, come from all walks of life and range from experienced singers to novices just discovering the joys of choral singing. For more information, visit www.gschoralsociety.org, email us at gschoral@gmail.com, or phone 207-457-1576.