JOPLIN, Mo. —
With a statue of the Virgin Mary as a backdrop, Terry Berkstresser and Steve Jones accepted a $3,000 donation Thursday from the Vivian Leon Fund for the Musical Arts. The money will be used to help rebuild the music program at St. Mary’s Elementary School, which was destroyed May 22.
Berkstresser is the music teacher for St. Mary’s; Jones is the principal.
The statue was salvaged from the wreckage of the Catholic elementary school on West 25th Street after the tornado. The school now conducts classes at a converted warehouse on South Byers Avenue.
The gift will be used to help replace what was lost or destroyed in the storm, and to help cover the cost of programs the school wants to bring to its students in the future, Jones said. A few weeks ago, members of the Tulsa Opera visited the school to entertain students.
“There are some other special programs like that that can now be utilized,” Jones said. “We’ll certainly use these funds in the most optimal manner.”
The fund was created using money donated to support the Missouri Southern International Piano Competition, which ended in 2009. After Leon retired, she wanted to use the remaining funds to continue bringing classical music to Joplin. The fund is administered by the Community Foundation of Southwest Missouri.
“This year, because of the storm, we felt this was a good way for us to show our concern,” Leon said. “We want to help rebuild the music program here at St. Mary’s because the (school) has suffered so much.”
Learn more
ORGANIZATIONS that are interested in receiving a grant or contributing money to the Vivian Leon Fund for the Musical Arts may contact the Community Foundation of Southwest Missouri by calling 417-359-5534.
May 2011 Joplin tornado
Catholic school receives $3,000 for music program
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