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Community Corner

RAVINIA HOSTS FREE PARTY FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Ravinia’s Student Marketing Board will host their annual “Cannon Ball” party, a free catered event on Ravinia’s lawn exclusively for area high school students this Sunday, July 27, 2014 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. as part of the Classical Youth Initiative (CYI) program.

The Ravinia Student Marketing Board was founded in 2010 with students from Highland Park High School to encourage younger audiences to attend classical music performances at Ravinia. They formed the Classical Youth Initiative program which focuses on three major objectives; free admission to high school students with valid I.D. for all Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) shows, a classical music attendance contest in which students who attend CSO performances at Ravinia automatically earn points for their school toward a grant for their music program and the annual “Cannon Ball” party on the lawn to encourage interaction between students from participating schools. The board host “Cannon Ball” with free food, games, prizes and the opportunity to earn additional points for the attendance contest. The party takes place this year on Sunday, July 27, 2014, before Ravinia’s Tchaikovsky Spectacular with live cannons.

The high school with the most points at the end of the CSO residency will receive a $5,000 grant towards their schools music program. Previous winners include Morgan Park High School (2013), Burlington Central High School (2012) and Highland Park High School (2011). As of July 22, 2014, students from over 70 area high schools have participated and the current top five in the standings are Wheeling High School with a narrow lead over second place Highland Park High School, Burlington Central High School in third, Deerfield High School in fourth and New Trier High School in fifth.

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In 2014, the Ravinia Student Marketing Board expanded its membership to include more than 30 students from 11 different area high schools including New Trier, York, Urban College Prep, Walter Payton College Prep, Deerfield High School and more. To inquire about involvement with the board or for more information about the Classical Youth Initiative, please email RaviniaCYI@ravinia.org or visit www.ravinia.org. Ravinia welcomes all festival fans to follow, connect and interact online at facebook.com/RaviniaFestival and twitter.com/raviniafestival.

Ravinia is a not-for-profit organization.

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