3rd Annual Cooper Gala “a great success”
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SENTINEL FILE PHOTO - The J.W. Cooper Center in Shenandoah.
Submitted Press Release
POTTSVILLE – The 3rd Annual Cooper Gala held on Saturday, May 19th was a great success. The 126 in attendance enjoyed entertainment provided by a variety of talented groups and individuals. The afternoon set included musician, Tommy Dee, followed by the Spotlight Kidz.
During the formal meal provided by Hess Catering, classical pianist Angelle Steinmetz played show tunes and classic pieces. After the meal the Shenandoah Smooth Blue Jazz Band entertained the crowd and was followed by the Shenandoah Drama Club’s performance of Hello Dolly. The Schuylkill County Therapeutic Riding Program also held a silent auction during the Gala to help raise funds for a lift to help SCTRP participants in Wheel Chairs to mount the horse. Additional information can be found at their website.
Throughout the event, door prizes were awarded to those in attendance as well as the presentation of Cooper Achievement Awards and Corporate Gifts. The Gala began shortly after lunch and ended a little after 9pm. The Ramada Hotel’s Grand ballroom will continue to be used as the Gala venue due to its size and accommodations. We thank the Hotel and Staff for their excellent service. We also thank Corey and Victoria Conrad for the use of their sound equipment and the Zearfoss family and Kendra Moyer for their help as hostess and beverage servers.
Sponsors of the event included Dick Yuengling, Beer Haven, Trail Garden Florists, Axiom, Inc., Progressive Cleaners, Mach’s Gut Candles, Tompkins Vist Bank, Kowalonek’s Kielbasi Shop, Souchuck Lumber, Vito’s Coal Fired Pizza, All State Insurance (Tom Cassidy), Schuylkill Tree and Landscaping (George Sheriff) and Sherwin Williams, Schuylkill Haven.
Diann Trotman photography of Lancaster, PA graciously donated (3) framed, signed and matted photographic works from within the Cooper building. Diann has supported the project since its inception and additional works can be found on her Facebook page, Diann Trotman Photography.
In addition, a variety of original, signed prints were donated by Fabiano Parisi (Italy) that are currently on display at the Cynthia Corbett Galleries in London, Rome, New York and Miami. Fabiano Parisi makes large-scale, highly detailed photographs of forgotten architectural interiors and exteriors. For his series “Il mondo che non vedo” (The world I do not see) (2007), which won the Celeste Prize in 2010, Parisi visited abandoned buildings in the United States (including the Cooper Building (Shenandoah, PA)), Belgium, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Eastern Europe and photographed them in intimate compositions. Although each spectacularly lit image highlights the need of repair of the spaces, Parisi also illuminates their former grandeur. Parisi exhibited in the 54th Venice Biennale in 2011 and the Fotografia Festival Internazionale di Roma at the Macro Museum in 2012.
The Cooper Souchuck Award was presented to Shenandoah Valley Student, Valentina Thomas. This award package included gifts and gift certificates from Souchuck Lumber, Lowes, Home Depot, Vito’s Pizza, over $200 in cash and a Dell Optiplex 390 Complete Computer System. Additional computers are available to SV students through the Cooper Litwak Education Foundation. To be considered as a potential recipient, please contact Anya Litwak at 570-617-9698.
Cooper Achievement Awards were presented to the Spotlight Kidz, the SV Drama Club, the SV Smooth Jazz Band and Souchuck Lumber.
Previously, an Award was presented to WPPA 1360 for its outstanding support of the Cooper project.
In attendance were numerous organizations and individuals who are continuing to volunteer their skill and time in order to provide the borough of Shenandoah with a multi-function Community Center at no cost to the residents and for the benefit of the County and surrounding area. It’s impossible to give enough thanks to all the students, directors, support staff, stage crew, sponsors, and guests who made this year’s Gala the biggest and best to date. We look forward to next year’s event and will invite all the guests and participants back again!
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