In what is the most important element of our mission, OCS has donated more than $70,000 to various community charities, including almost $15,000 to the families of children with life-threatening diseases. Each season, the OCS Charity Nominating Committee selects a beneficiary to receive the generous donations of our patrons.
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1999- A young member of our community, Whitney Leckenby, victim of a life-threatening bone disease. Whitney and her family decided to give the $5030 to the IFOPA (Internation Fibrodyplasia Osificans Progressiva Association) which helps the 300+ people in the world with this little-known disease.
2000- SafePlace was given $2000 to support its mission. SafePlace is the only advocacy agency and confidential shelter for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Thurston County. They serve primarily women and children in our community who are victims.
2001- Tanner Carriveau- $4800
2002- Andrew Tupper- $5000
2003- This year we donated $4000 to St. Peter's Pediatric Unit. The money went to furnish a waiting room and play center for children who are hosptial-bound. This donation made hospital stays more pleasant due to the new equipment they were able to purchase.
2004- A record $7300 was given to The Neighborhood Free Medical Clinic. The NFMC is a product of Jane Jones and countless volunteers who run a totally free medical clinic in Thurston County. No one on staff, including the doctors, are paid and no patients are turned away.
2005- Following our 2005 Christmas concert, a contribution of $5,000 was made to the The Wyatt Holliday Foundation which was created in memory of a young Olympia boy who suffered, until the date of his most untimely death, from a condition called Asperger Syndrome. The Foundation is dedicated to providing support and funding for therapeutic services to children with mental and physical challenges. It also is a place for parents to communicate and get together with other parents of special needs children.
2006- The Christmas concert was performed for the benefit of Partners in Prevention Education, an organization devoted to helping homeless children who are victims of abuse. The generosity of our patrons has permitted us to donate nearly $7,000 on their behalf to this most worthy cause.
2007 Christmas Concert was performed for the benefit of the Ibsen Adoption Network, a non-profit organization based in Olympia which is dedicated to encourage the adoption of special needs children through education, support, and financial assistance to families living in the State of Washington. The response of our patrons provided for a donation of $7500.
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In 2003, OCS gave out its first high school scholarship. Since then, we have given $6,000 in scholarship money to 8 local students. This program was designed to help seniors in high school afford the opportunity to continue vocal music studies at the college level.
***If you know of any high school senior who may be interested in our scholarship program, please have them contact their high school choir teacher or OCS between October and December in any given year.***
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