The Giving Challenge Kept Our Music Playing

The members of the Manatee Community Concert Band are extremely grateful to the Giving Challenge for our inclusion in your 2022 fundraising campaign. Participation allowed our band to not only survive, but to soar as we re-emerged from the Pandemic and challenging financial times.

Who We Are and Why the Giving Challenge is Important

Our purpose and mission is to provide an opportunityfor talented and dedicated musicians to continue their involvement in music and to provide quality musical entertainment. The Manatee Community Concert Band:

• serves the community through performances of a variety of music via formal concerts and community events
• encourages and assists young musicians to develop and pursue the love of performed music
• provides an opportunity for individual musical expression and growth along with a determination to commit to the very best quality of performance possible
• provides music for our members and audiences that will engender pride in our organization, community and nation

Thanks to the 2022 Giving Challenge, the Manatee Community Concert Band was able to continue our partnership with the State College of Florida's Lifelong Living Program, presenting four concerts annually at the Neel Performing Arts Center and several more concerts each year in the Bradenton/Sarasota area.

Our membership has grown from 50 to over 70 musicians, ranging in age from teens to seniors. For the first time, we have the financial wherewithal to offer scholarships to secondary school and college students who participate in our program, a long-time goal fo the Band.

Attendance at our four concerts at the Neel Performing Arts Center has grown dramatically, with over 500 concert goers at our season finale in April 2023. Therewas barely an open seat!

Enthusiastic comments from our patrons include how glad they are to have concerts made available to them at a modest cost with music that cheers, engages and inspires them. Others have said how very proud they are to have such a quality band representing their community.

Thank you, Giving Challenge, for making all this possible! We would not be where we are today without your support. We are excited about the upcoming Giving Challenge in 2024. Thanks to your past and continued support, the Manatee Community Concert Band is a shining light in our community, and we are excited for the future.