Music with a mission: Cascade Crescendo Campaign concert to fill Snowy Owl with song May 31

LEAVENWORTH - The Snowy Owl Theater at Icicle Creek Center for the Arts will come alive on Saturday, May 31 at 7 p.m. with the voices and talents of local musicians, students, and performers during the second annual Crescendo Campaign Benefit Concert. The evening promises unforgettable music and community connection — all for a cause that resonates deeply throughout the Cascade School District (CSD).

Launched in response to budget-driven cuts to middle and high school choir programs, the Crescendo Campaign is a community-led effort to fund choir instruction and ensure students from grades 6–12 continue to have access to vocal music education.

This year’s concert, hosted by Cascade PTSA and the Performing Arts Boosters, features an impressive lineup of local performers including Amy Edwards, Ernest Palmer, Jon Vandel, Rhia Foster, and Angela Wagoner. Attendees will also enjoy performances from the CSD Choirs, solos from student singers Hazel Gilkinson, Kiriana Ross, and Caroline Menna, and a special appearance from the cast of Alice in Wonderland, Cascade High School’s (CHS) spring musical.

All proceeds from ticket sales — $25 for adults, $10 for students — as well as funds raised from a bake sale, raffle, and silent auction at the event, will benefit the campaign’s current goal: raising $51,000 to fund choir programming for the 2025–2026 school year. This figure was adjusted down from the original $65,683 thanks to the recent passage of a local levy, which will take effect in spring 2026 and eventually provide direct district funding for music programs.

The campaign has already raised approximately $73,000 toward its two-year $116,000 goal. It recently unlocked its first matching grant and is just $12,000 away from earning a second $20,000 match.

“The response has been extraordinary,” said Amy Edwards, who is both a performer and a PTSA committee member. “Hundreds of community members have stepped up — from kids organizing letter-writing campaigns to donors giving what they can. Every dollar helps preserve something truly meaningful.”

Last year’s concert drew a standing-room-only crowd and helped push the campaign past its initial year-one goal of $65,683. That funding made it possible for the CHS program to continue under the leadership of Mindy Wall, a former choir director who returned to instruct; Wall’s husband Darryl was hired to teach at Icicle River Middle School.

The stakes are high. Without choir at the middle school level, students face limited music options, and the band program risks overcrowding. According to organizers, once a music program is cut, it can be nearly impossible to restart — due to the costs, staffing needs, and time required to rebuild momentum.

“This is about more than music class,” said Rome. “Choir gives kids a sense of belonging. Not every student finds their place on a sports team or in a science lab. For some, music is home.”

Rome credits the campaign’s success to the collaboration between parents, students, teachers, administrators, and the wider Leavenworth community. Generous support has come from the City of Leavenworth, Cascade Education Foundation, Village Voices, Upper Valley Legacy Fund, Woods Family Music & Art Endowment, Confluence Health & Wenatchee Valley Medical Foundation, Munchen Haus, South, and Icicle Creek Center for the Arts — not to mention the legions of individual donors.

Tickets for the May 31 concert can be purchased online or at the door, though last year’s concert sold out early. Attendees are encouraged to bring cash, checks, or Venmo for additional donations, auction bids, and treats. All donations above ticket prices are tax deductible.

To purchase tickets, follow the campaign’s progress, or donate, visit:

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/cascade-choir-benefit-concert

Caroline Menna is an intern for Ward Media and a senior at Cascade High School, where she serves as Editor-in-Chief of the school’s Publications Group.