The Gary Historical & Cultural Society held its 34th annual “Christ-mas Dinner-Concert” on December 11 featuring the Gary Civic Symphony Orchestra.
Gary’s beautiful Marquette Park Pavilion provided the venue for an evening of orchestra, accompanied by local and area soloists, choirs, and a community choir achieved through the audience participation. The performance concluded with the “Hallelujah” chorus.
Guests were introduced and guided through the program by Gary Historical & Cultural Society (GHCS) Advisory Support Committee member Delores Carraway Gibson. Gibson was the emcee for the event. It was only befitting that the program would begin with a tribute to the GHCS founder and CEO emeritus Dolly Millender. Naomi Millender, current director of the GHCS, is the daughter of Dolly Millender. It was followed by greetings from Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson and 3rd District Councilperson Mary Brown.
Other performances included the Reindeer Children’s Choir, Soloists Michael Green, the Wirt-Emerson Visual and Performing Arts School, Arthur Griffin, Robert Griffin and the community of supporters attending the dinner.
A change from the previous program in years past was the addition of a Gary History Raffle. Reverend Delwyn Campbell gave the invocation for the dinner. He is the pastor of St. John Lutheran Church.
The evening was made possible by sponsors, donations and volunteers, which include some but not all of the following people: Isaac Preston III, Lance Dillon, Dee Murphy, Maxie Brown, Jeremiah Carter, Jimmy Underwood, Justine Millender Preston, Muriel Rondo Hanks, Christine Preston, Rosie Billingsley, Bettye Billingsley, Patricia Brown, Naomi Lyles, and Runetta Brown.
