"American Dreammaker Award" from Habitat for Humanity for Metropolitan Chorale of Kansas City

Metropolitan Chorale of Kansas City's director, Dr. Rebecca Johnson, holds

"The American Dreammaker Award"

For five years, the Metropolitan Chorale of Kansas City has partnered with Truman Heritage Habitat for Humanity (THHFH)to raise funds to place underprivileged people into affordable housing. At the 9^th Annual American Dream Gala on August 20, 2011, The Metropolitan Chorale of Kansas City (MCC-Blue River’s choir) was presented with the “American Dreammaker Award” for helping THHFH  promote their mission in Eastern Jackson County and beyond.

The first HardHats for Habitat Concert was held in March of 2007 and for five years, including April 2011, the concert has been performed at Woods Chapel Church under the direction of Dr. Rebecca Johnson and Artistic Director Sarah Tyrrell. In that time, the chorale has raised over $22,000.00 for THHFH, and this year’s concert raised an unprecedented amount for the organization. After the event, Executive Director of THHFH, Pat Turner, told MCC-Blue River, “Thank you all so much for your wonderful
contribution to the Hardhats for Habitat fundraising event... You will be very pleased to know that the concert raised a grand total of $6,796.50. . . . You have given us a jump start into the next year. Thank you, thank you and thank you…” This single event raised enough money to supply nails for thirteen houses, more than a year and a half worth of the THHFH projects.

When Chorale director Dr. Rebecca Johnson learned of the award, she said, “This is just lovely, and I can easily speak for the choir when I say how honored we feel. Just doing the benefits has been so rewarding, but to be honored on top of it is like icing on the cake… it is truly lovely!”

To learn more about the MCC-Blue River choir program, you can visit them on the web at http://mcckc.edu/blueriver/humanities/music/ and on Facebook.