The time is drawing very near for the Port Angeles Benefit Concert.

We are 2 ½ weeks away from our concert date. Our committees are beginning to report back of the extraordinary support of the community! I knew that I lived in a tremendously supportive community. We are solidly behind our youth and work tirelessly for their benefit. We have a good group of young people of whom we are very proud, and I have no doubt that they are good kids because they know the adults surrounding them care about them.

We have had string quartets playing in our stores selling raffle tickets and tickets to the concert. They have been very successful in this undertaking, and the shoppers have loved the music! The students have taken ownership of this concert; that is a wonderful thing! They will have more of an appreciation of monies being raised by this fundraiser because they are working with OPUS, the booster club of parents.

Our sponsorship committee is about half done with their work and they have already contributed nearly half of all needed expenses! We have a committee visiting the three largest service clubs on Thursday and Friday to enlist their support, as well. The committee selling advertisements for our program is also having great success and will be finished with their work by the 20th so that I can then prepare the ads and get them printed. I will be sure to include a copy of our program in the Port Angeles Documentary Section for your enjoyment.

Peninsula College has a beautiful 7 foot Steinway which was donated to our college with the understanding that this kind of a concert will have access to this wonderful instrument. It has been arranged: Patrick Healy will have a beautiful, quality instrument with which to accompany Anthony Kearns!

Our food committee is making their plans. They will have refreshments to sell during intermission. The Chamber Orchestra is practicing what they will perform during seating and intermission. The stage decorating committee is making their plans, and on 9/29 they will transform the high school stage in preparation for this incredible concert about which the entire community is buzzing!

The venue is now over ½ sold; we are fast approaching 2/3 of the venue. I am confident that we will be near a sell out. If we have any tickets to sell at the door, I will be very surprised.

The lodging for the troupe has been arranged, as has the post-concert meal. The dressing rooms will be completed on concert day with the very light snacks needed by the performers, and their water and hot tea will be ready when they arrive for their sound checks.

The head of the music department at Peninsula College is standing by to do a professional reveiw for this website which should prove to be wonderful reading! I'm sure we will all enjoy sharing in his impressions of our tenor.

There is very little I can think of now left to do, but I’m sure something will occur which will need my attention. I have had a wonderful, dedicated, caring group of people helping me bring this concert to reality. Together I believe we have thought of most everything we need to pull this off.

I have received so many wonderful calls thanking me for bringing this young man to sing for us. The community as a whole is amazed and thrilled that he is coming. They can’t believe a world-class talent like Anthony Kearns would bother with our little town, and they want to thank him with their attendance and their applause.

Just WAIT until they see and hear him………….They will be awe-struck. It warms my heart!

After all, that is what we at the Anthony J. Kearns Website are in the business for: To introduce more people to this incredibly talented man, and bring to him an even greater fan base than he already has. I can guarantee you: Port Angeles has grown to love Anthony Kearns by listening to his radio advertisement and seeing his TV commercial. But more than that: they are becoming fans because of the kind and caring thing he is doing for our youth.