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COMMUNITY
Buckhead Girls Choir offers singing Valentines
BY MELISSA WEINMAN
melissaweinman@reporternewspapers.net
LEE UNDERWOOD
The Buckhead Girls Choir, which focuses on international music,
hopes to expand from Valentine Grams to singing for other holidays.
If the usual flowers and chocolates
feel a bit trite this year, the young song
stresses of the Buckhead Girls Choir are
offering something different you can
give to your valentine.
In what they call a “Valentine Gram,”
a group of singers from the choir will
serenade your sweetie with a medley of
three love songs, then present him or her
with a rose and a personal note.
Megan Hodge, the founder and con
ductor of the Buckhead Girls Choir, said
this is the third year they have offered
the Valentine Grams, which raise money
for the nonprofit organization.
Hodge said between 11 a.m. and 9
p.m., parent volunteers drive the girls
to homes, offices, and other locations to
deliver their Valentine Grams.
“Last year a lot of people got them for
their grandmas or for their teachers. We
went to a lot of schools and retirement
homes. It was fun,” Hodge said.
She said the girls, who are between
the ages of 5 and 17, enjoy it and dress
for the holiday with plenty of hearts and
glitter.
“They had a blast last year. They’ve
been bugging me to do other holidays,”
Hodge said. “We may add a Mother’s
Day version because they love it.”
Each Valentine Gram costs $60. The
money will go toward a scholarship
fund, which helps pay the cost of tu
ition for girls with financial difficulties.
The funds will also cover the cost of uni
forms and choir trips, Hodge said.
Last year, the Buckhead Girls Choir
sang at the Cherry Blossom Festival in
Washington, D.C., and this year, they
are scheduled to perform at Disney
World in Orlando in April.
Hodge said she started the choir four
years ago as a way to provide more op
tions for girls who are interested in sing
ing. Girls audition for the choir, which
is divided into several groups based on
age and skill level.
Most choirs are associated with
churches, Hodge said. But the Buck-
head Girls Choir offers a non-religious
choir experience for girls in the area.
Hodge said the approximately 50 girls
in the choir represent 19 schools, most
ly from the private and public schools in
Buckhead.
“They didn’t really like the church
music all the time. It gave them an op
tion to sing something different,” Hodge
said.
The choir has a focus on internation
al music. This year, the choir is singing
in 21 different languages, Hodge said.
“We just choose a variety of mu
sic. We’re very eclectic with our taste,”
Hodge said. “There’s an emphasis on
learning pronunciation in different lan
guages and the different styles that go
along with each culture.”
Hodge said she is hoping for another
successful year of Valentine Grams — but
she’s also expecting plenty of procrasti
nators will wait until just before Feb. 14.
“The week before Valentine’s Day
last year, we only had 19 scheduled. We
ended up with 71. It was a little bit cra
zy, but it was a good fundraiser,” Hodge
said. “I’m hoping people will be more
on top of it this year.”
For more information: 678-522-5603
or email info@buckbeadgirlscboir.org.
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