Healthcare Foundation of La Porte’s mission to empower residents to live healthy and well in and around LaPorte goes hand in hand with the message of the holiday season.
“Holiday at the Pops,” which sold out in 2016, takes place Dec. 9 at La Porte Civic Auditorium. Proceeds benefit Healthcare Foundation of La Porte’s Children’s Fund, which supports health and wellness programs and children-focused initiatives.
“It is tradition,” said Maria Fruth, president and chief executive officer of Healthcare Foundation of La Porte.
“Having the professionals and the incredible talent of the symphony and guest artists is something to be celebrated. You leave the pops concert really feeling like you have opened the holiday season. You are ready to celebrate the holidays.
“For all involved it has always been very inspirational. The last song that we always sing is ‘Silent Night.’ The whole audience stands up. It’s a sing-along. It’s very touching. You really feel good about having the whole community participate on that.”
Familiar faces at the 23rd annual concert include La Porte County Symphony Orchestra director Philip Bauman.
“That’s a fantastic endeavor. I applaud the community for supporting the symphony. We have contracted the symphony for the last 23 years. The request that we make from maestro Philip Bauman is that all talent has to be local,” said Fruth, of LaPorte.
“The highlighting of local talent is something that is very dear to our hearts because we do have an incredible amount of talent in this community. It’s really a hometown ‘Holiday at the Pops.'”
Guest artists include Hoosier Star vocal competition alumni Saige Brumbaugh, a 2017 Youth Division runner-up and Lake Street Elementary School student in Crown Point, and LaPorte’s James Neary, 2016’s Adult Division winner and vocalist and guitarist for the blues rock outfit James Neary and the Bevy Blue.
Tom Coe, choral director at LaPorte High School, and Kaden Slay, a missionary at the headquarters of People & Songs and the Emerging Sound in LaPorte, are also among the performers booked for “Holiday at the Pops.”
The show also includes the Singing Co. of LaPorte County Children’s Chorus under the direction of Matthew Nelson, who previously served as chorus master for the La Porte County Symphony Orchestra’s Children’s Chorus for nine seasons.
“This year we’re sticking to a very traditional holiday celebration so most of the songs are related to the beautiful songs that all of us like to sing around the holidays,” said Fruth about the concert, which was organized by a committee chaired by Liz Kaminski, of LaPorte.
The program includes “All I Really Want for Christmas,” “Ave Maria,” “Away in a Manger,” “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear,” “O Holy Night,” “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” and “White Christmas.”
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“I love Christmas. I love the holiday season. I think that it’s such a special occasion to renew spirits and to be close to family and friends. It is a great holiday tradition to have the pops concert. At the same time you’re lending support to something that we hope to accomplish,” Fruth said.
“The health of LaPorte’s children is one of our greatest priorities. If we put our children on the right path of being healthy and well, down the line that’s going to pay enormous dividends for them, for the community and for all involved.”
Jessi Virtusio is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
‘Holiday at the Pops’
When: 7 p.m. Dec. 9
Where: La Porte Civic Auditorium, 1001 Ridge St., LaPorte
Tickets: $10 ages 14 and older; $5 ages 13 and younger
Information: 219-326-2471; www.holidaypopslaporte.org