The 2011 Run for the Music
Amy Etra Photo
Last year, the New Haven Symphony Orchestra organized a “Run for the Music” to help fund its “education and community engagement programs,” as the New Haven Independent reported. The 5K fund-raising event in East Rock Park was conceived by the organization’s sponsorship and promotions director — and longtime jogger — Elizabeth Meyer-Gadon.
“Last season we raised $37,248, which included generous sponsorships from Anthem (Blue Cross and Blue Shield) and Yale-New Haven Hospital,” the New Haven Symphony Orchestra’s executive director, Elaine Carroll, said in an e‑mail.
The New Haven Symphony Orchestra will host its second “Run for the Music,” sponsored again by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, on Sunday, April 22, beginning at East Rock Park’s College Woods Pavilion. Proceeds from the event will once again benefit the organization’s educational outreach initiatives according to a press release, which indicates that “each year, the NHSO serves over 36,000 students through in-school presentations, Young Peoples Concerts, masterclasses, and more. Proceeds will provide life-changing opportunities through innovative music programming and inspiring performances in a wide variety of schools and social service organizations.”
Funds raised through last year’s “Run for the Music” allowed the orchestra to “broaden our education programs,” Meyer-Gadon said.
“One of the most exciting aspects of that improvement is the expansion of our Young People’s Concerts to the City of New London,” Carroll said in her e‑mail.
The New Haven Symphony Orchestra will present a Young People’s Concert at New London High School on April 30 as part of a series that includes performances at Woolsey Hall, Fairfield University’s Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts, Hyde Cultural Center (Woodstock), and Seymour Middle School.
Meyer-Gadon said about 500 runners (and walkers) participated in last year’s “Run for the Music.”
“We hope to reach at least 600 runners” this year, she said.
The event, Meyer-Gadon said, “brings together all sorts of communities” and introduces the organization to potential new audiences.
According to the orchestra’s press release, the “Run for the Music” will feature “a variety of pre- and post-race activities … including pep bands, complimentary food and beverages, giant inflatables, yoga, massage, and much more. Awards will be given to the top three finishers in each division (men’s and women’s), the largest pre-registered group, as well as prizes for the top fundraisers.”
Visit newhavensymphony.org for registration information and event details.