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New Jersey Youth Symphony

Join NJYS at Playathon on March 31!

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Development Blog by Elizabeth Piercey | February 2019

Playathon is coming soon! For those of you who have participated in Playathon in the past, you know how exciting it is to perform with 500 of your peers on center stage. NJYS parents report this is one of their favorite events of the year as well. Which is why we are excited to announce three more incentives for the 2019 Playathon at the Mills at Jersey Gardens:

  • Playathon parents will receive a Jersey Gardens Mall coupon book for free (regularly valued at $5) when they drop off their kids.  And, if parents spend $50 at any combination of The Mills at Jersey Gardens’ stores, they will receive their choice a $10 gift card at Sephora or lululemon!
  • Each Playathon performer will be entered into a raffle to win fabulous prizes.
  • For the first time, Playathon will feature a Live Auction! The prize will be conducting the final Playathon piece, Stars and Stripes Forever.

Please contact Allie Arnold at Allison.Arnold@WhartonArts.org to learn more about getting involved with Playathon. We can’t wait to see you on March 31!

It’s that time again…Playathon 2019!

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Development Blog by Elizabeth Piercey | January 2019

Playathon is one of our most beloved traditions because it’s the one time each year that all 500 musicians of the New Jersey Youth Symphony perform together in a massive, free concert at The Mills at Jersey Gardens! Scheduled for Sunday, March 31 at 1:00 p.m., performances will include jazz, classical, and musical theater, and the full orchestra pops concert features music from movies to Broadway. Playathon also serves as our primary student fundraising activity. Funds raised through Playathon support the daily operations of the organization, including scholarships and tuition assistance.

Our goal is to raise $110,000 and we need YOUR help! We are challenging students to take their Playathon Profiles to a new level by customizing their pages to highlight the many ways friends and family can donate to and get involved in Playathon as well as the remainder of the NJYS Season. Please register here!

This year we are offering two special incentives to make this Playathon season more successful than ever:

  • Greeting Cards for a Cause: Sell beautiful, affordable greeting cards to friends and family and qualify for “Wicked” prizes! Our highest sellers will qualify to win backstage passes to the popular Broadway musical, Wicked!
  • Social Media Photo Contest: One of the ways students can get ahead in their chance to win prizes is by promoting Playathon (and all the ways to support it) on their social media pages. Students with the most likes on photo or post about the NJYS Playathon will have a higher eligibility for prizes. Remember to tag @newjerseyyouthsymphony and #Playathon2019.

Please contact Allie Arnold at Allison.Arnold@WhartonArts.org to learn more!

The Perfect Gift

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Development Blog by Elizabeth Piercey | December 2018

“You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who can never repay you.”
John Wooden, basketball coach and inspirational leader

At Wharton Arts, we use music as an instrument for social transformation. We believe that everyone can learn to experience and express music deeply regardless of their background, receive its many benefits, and make positive life choices because of this learning.

Donations made to Wharton Arts through December 31 will be matched $1 for $1 by a very generous donor. The donor will match donations up to $50,000!

We will use these funds to build our grassroots efforts in Paterson to offer a free Saturday Youth Orchestra, bringing young musicians across the city to play together. These funds are essential to continuing our delightful community choir for older adults. We will also celebrate New Jersey Youth Symphony’s 40th anniversary this year with a public concert at New Jersey Performing Arts Center. We need your support to make all of this possible! Make an online donation here.