Cookie Walk held to raise funds for Seneca Valley Orchestra
CRANBERRY TWP — The Seneca Valley Orchestra Parent Association held its second annual Cookie Walk on Saturday, Dec. 21, at the Cranberry Township Municipal Building, offering a wide array of cookies to shoppers, who were either looking for a treat or help to relieve them from baking chores during the busy holiday season.
Around 250 were expected and the flash of unexpected winter weather did not stop cookie-buyers, with lines at each table forming throughout the two-hour event.
“It’s a wonderful fundraiser for us,” said Kristine Hart, fundraising chairwoman and acting president of the association. “We came up with the idea last year, got it quickly organized, and it turned out to be so fun and profitable.”
Variety was the key word, with many different types of cookie types, including favorites chocolate chip, sugar and snowballs.
Three different boxes were offered at $5, $10 and $20, depending on size.
To add to the holiday atmosphere, the Seneca Valley Orchestra students were on hand to play some well-known holiday songs.
Money raised will be used to fund programs for the orchestra students throughout the year.
“Every penny we raise goes right back to our kids,” said Hart. “We have paid for guest teachers, workshops, fun events like the homecoming float, a hot cocoa bar after concerts … surprise experiences on student trips.”
The Seneca Valley Orchestra program started out small, but that is no longer the case, thanks to the hard work of all involved.
“The orchestra program began in 2011 with a small group of high school students and has grown tremendously in the last 13 years. We are blessed to have several hundred students involved in orchestra classes 4 to 12, and 4 dedicated orchestra teachers,” said director Sara Miller.
Upcoming events for the program include a workshop and concert with all female bluegrass group the Grass Gals and a spring Disney trip for some of the students.
“Disney will be our fourth trip as an orchestra. Previously we have taken the kids to Virginia Beach, Nashville and Myrtle Beach. On these trips they’ve been able to take master classes at universities along the way, participate in adjudications where they typically receive high ratings,” said Hart.
But it’s not all business during these trips. The students get to experience the areas where they visit and popular tourist destinations at each location.
“[Students] squeeze in some sightseeing, like the Grand Old Opry, the Myrtle Beach boardwalk and many other fun experiences,” said Hart.
Just like the orchestra itself, the parent association is only able to reach its goals through everyone pitching in to help.
“On our board, we have seven parents that dedicate a lot of their time to the program,” said Hart.
Whether it be finances or social media, everyone contributes.
“We all make the program the best we can for our kids,” said Hart.
