On Dec. 12, 2015, a crowd of people entered Insalaco Hall, escaping the chilly evening breeze. They graciously opened their wallets, purchased tickets, made donations, and shuffled through the open doors into Lemmond Theater, ready to celebrate the Christmas season with a night of music. The concert, a benefit event for the Ruth Matthews Bourger Women with Children (WWC) Program, was titled “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” capturing the giving spirit of the season.
Many months prior, Beyond Harmony, Misericordia’s female a capella group began planning what would be the first event the group ever put on. In years past, the group was invited to sing at events, but never had they organized an event in which they were the main, and only, performers. They spent months practicing, learning a slew of Christmas music, both a capella and with piano accompaniment graciously provided by one of the group’s very own singers, Molly Betz.
Arrangements were made with the WWC program, and soon the concert grew to include hymns and secular Christmas songs, Bible readings, short Christmas poems and special appearances from children who are a part of the program.
On the night of the event, the 14 members of Beyond Harmony stood backstage, nervous with anticipation. Soon, the lights would dim and Michael Dubinski, student body president of the class of 2018, would take the stage and introduce the concert. In a whirlwind of song, the concert began, and 40 minutes later, the girls were taking their bows, leaving the stage after singing their final song, "Jingle Bells."
Misericordia’s student body deeply believes in philanthropy, volunteer work and giving back in hopes of a better future. This concern for societal betterment is rooted in the university’s core values of mercy, service, justice and hospitality. When asked to say a few words about the Women with Children program and the class of 2018’s mission, Dubinski expressed, “The Class of 2018 WWC Endowed Scholarship is really a one-of-a-kind student-led, student-run project here at Misericordia. With its endowment, the scholarship will help change the lives of a woman and her children by being a bridge out of poverty to the shore of opportunity.” The Ruth Matthew Bourger WWC program is one of eight in the entire country and strives to empower and educate single mothers.
The concert, which raised $548, will not be the last. Dubinski commented, “The concert, featuring some of the children in the program, was quite successful, but we’ve now fixed our eyes on making next year’s concert even more successful. Our goal is $25,000.” As a member of Beyond Harmony myself, I am excited to see how this event will grow over the year.
If you missed this year’s concert, take the time to watch the full show below.
