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Shopping center kicks off concert series for nonprofits
Photo courtesy of The Village at Fairview - Gail Alvarez (center), marketing director for The Village at Fairview, presents a $500 check to Marty Monnat (left) and Craig Thomas (right), board members for the Foundation for Allen Schools, at Friday night's "Concerts for a Cause" concert at The Village at Fairview.
By Conner Hammett, chammett@acnpapers.com
Last year, The Village at Fairview's "Vocals for Locals" concert series gave both the shopping center and area residents a chance to give back to area nonprofits.
It's back this year, but with a new name and some new faces.
"Concerts for a Cause," as the series is now known, kicked off June 10 with a performance by party and dance band The Project and a $500 donation from The Village at Fairview to The Foundation for Allen Schools. Attendees were also asked to donate pencils, paper and other school supplies to representatives for the foundation positioned at a table near the stage.
"We just feel really fortunate that The Village at Fairview and [property owner] MGHerring are so supportive of not only education but so many other organizations," she said. "They're just an outstanding corporate citizen."
Marty Monnat, a former Allen ISD school board trustee and current foundation board member, said such donations are even more important given the unusually low amount of funding districts are expected to receive from the state this year.
"Everybody knows about what's going on in the state with school funding," he said. "There's a direct correlation between how much funding you get and what goes on in the classrooms."
Still, there's no doubt in Monnat's mind who the district has to lean on in tough times.
"[My wife and I] have lived in Allen for almost 30 years, and even in the lean times, the community has always supported the school district," he said.
Like last year, each benefiting nonprofit will receive a $500 check from the shopping center and accept specially requested in-kind donations from attendees throughout the concert. A few things have changed, however: the concerts will now take place Friday nights from 6 to 8 p.m., giving visitors a full hour to shop and dine after the concert. The series has also been extended from five weeks to 11 weeks.
"We had a great response to the concert series last year from both our guests and the partnering nonprofits," said Gail Alvarez, marketing director for The Village at Fairview. "This year, we wanted to make the event even bigger by offering more concerts and supporting a greater number of local organizations."
The event will also expand its scope to include Allen Community Outreach, Cancer Support Community North Texas, Circle Ten Council, the Boy Scouts of America, the Foundation for Lovejoy Schools and the Purple Balloon Foundation, in addition to last year's benefiting nonprofits.
Last year, the concerts netted a combined $2,500 for the benefiting nonprofits. This year, The Village at Fairview plans to donate a total of $5,500.
"Concerts for a Cause is all about bringing the community together," Alvarez said. "The event helps to raise awareness about many local nonprofit organizations that provide a variety of services and support for Collin County. Guests get to enjoy an evening of great music with friends and family and also have the opportunity to give back to the community by participating in the in-kind donation drives. It's a win-win for The Village at Fairview, our guests and the organizations that benefit from Concerts for a Cause."
Concerts for a Cause will continue every Friday at 6 p.m. through Aug. 19. Concerts take place at The Grand Commons Stage, between Gloria's and The Purple Cow. The Village at Fairview is at the northeast corner of U.S. 75 and Stacy Road. For information, visit www.thevillageshopping.com.
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