NEMPAC Students Kick Off Perform-a-Thon Fundraising Effort

This week students of the North End Music & Performing Arts Center (NEMPAC) began collecting pledges for the popular neighborhood music and performance art center’s 2022 Perform-a-thon. The fundraising effort by the students will culminate in a day-long event of performances by faculty and students on Saturday,  April 2.

“At this year’s 8th Annual Perform-a-thon, our talented students of all ages and faculty will come together in support of NEMPAC’s mission to make music accessible for all,” said NEMPAC’s Marketing and Communications Manager Ingo Madel. “During this family-friendly event, we will host performances, with special raffles, prizes for student fundraisers, and more.”

Madel said all funds from the Perform-a-thon will directly benefit the NEMPAC Scholarship Fund.

The April 2 performances will feature a broad variety of singing and dancing performances by NEMPAC youth and adult students as well as faculty performers. The event will take place in person at 50 Tileston St. in the North End and also streamed live on YouTube.

“This very successful annual fundraiser is a free and open to the public day-long event featuring a raffle and prices,” said Madel. “The Perform-a-thon has a long tradition at the NEMPAC and this year premiers as a both in-person and virtual fundraiser. “One hundred percent of the proceeds benefit NEMPAC’s Scholarship Fund, which in 2021 alone funded 24 families totalling over $10,000 in awards and 6 local school partnerships.”

According to NEMPAC Executive Director Sherri Snow NEMPAC”s Perform-a-thon began in June of 2014 as the program’s “Keys for Kids” fundraiser. The first performance included the participation of 35 students performing outside NEMPAC’s Prado Studios as a combined event with the Student Spring Recital.

“Due to the growth of our programs, the increase in student enrollment and participation, and the support and excitement from our friends and families in the North End/Waterfront, Charlestown, and surrounding communities of Boston, it became its own initiative and celebration at the start of spring,” said Snow. “Today the Perform-a-thon has grown to involve over 120 student performers and many faculty members, and brings out hundreds of families, local neighbors, and community members for a musical, family-fun day to support #MusicForAll.”

Snow said last year’s event raised over $16,000.

“In order to ensure music is accessible to all, we founded the NEMPAC Scholarship Fund—and various other private scholarship funds including the Marshall Fund and d’Amore Fund—to award over $14,000 in need-based youth scholarships per year,” said Snow. “These students are carefully reviewed by a committee and given awards to pursue artistic studies in private music lessons, summer programs, or an after-school program of their choosing.”

To learn more on how to pledge visit www.nempacboston.org.