The Community Foundation of Grant County said in a press release that they awarded the donations on Nov. 6, 2024. Joe Jordan, president and CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Fort Wayne, said the Community Foundation awarded the organization with $15,000 to support the program Project Learn.  

“Project Learn is really kind of a evidence based program provided by the National Boys and Girls Club of America that we conduct every day in our clubs,” Jordan said. “It’s about academic enhancement, homework assistance, and getting kids back on track academically.” 

Christopher Wallace, senior director of the Boys and Girls Club of Grant County, said some of the donations provided maps to help children learn about places outside of Marion. The funds also provided materials for educational activities and sports equipment to help with physical exercise and teamwork.  

The club offers Power Hour to help children with their homework.  

“Power Hour just provides them with the opportunity to get that undivided attention from an adult that also understands the content,” Volunteer Kiersten Todd said. 

Wallace said that the Boys and Girls Club works closely with the school system. 

“We want these kids to know that the Boys and Girls Club is valuable. We are very, very valuable to education, social, mental, physical health. And the educational portion of this is actually getting involved with the school, being apart, being a face and letting them see us and understanding that we’re all in this together” Wallace said.  

Volunteer Mackenzie Boyer said she appreciates the academic help the organization provides for students.  

“When I came last semester when the kids were first starting off their school year, it was amazing to just sit down with the kids and go through homework. And then, seeing their academic growth from last semester to this point is something that is really amazing,” Boyer said.

Wallace said that even though donations are important, he places more value on the work the club does in building relationships with students.  

“Every child wants somebody to believe in them,” Wallace said. “And that’s us.”  

Christina Huff, the area coordinator for middle school students, said children attending this event will sing musical selections together and learn about different school districts, teachers and musical approaches in a non-competitive environment.  

“Circle the State is more of a festival situation, so it’s not competition,” Huff said. “It’s nothing that they need to be stressed about. It’s very much a collaborative day, a collaborative effort.” 

Debbie Myers, the accompanist for the festival’s junior high students, said the students have three or four hours total to rehearse their selections before the concert.   

“They have to learn a lot of music in a short amount of time, which is hard, but they do it really well,” Myers said. 

Grace Sommerfeld, co-coordinator for the elementary division, said the program consists of separate elementary and middle school performances. At the end of the program, both choirs will combine to sing one song together.  

In addition to her experience as co-coordinator for the elementary division, Sommerfeld experienced this festival as a participant in 2006. She said she appreciated that the performance helped her meet children from schools she hadn’t known existed. 

“Having this common connection that we all love to sing and that we all knew this music and then creating a concert by that evening for our family to come and see, was really cool,” Sommerfeld said.   

Huff said people should attend the concert because of its positive nature. 

“There’s a lot of things that people will say are not going well in the world right now and this is something that’s positive,” Huff said. “There is absolutely nothing negative about this event. It’s something that you can go to and just enjoy, and anybody is welcome to go to the concert. You can’t get much better than watching a group of kids sing positive music.” 

Huff said tickets for the concert are $5 and attendees can buy them at the door. Children ages five and under receive free tickets.