One Of The Season's Heartbeats

I am very proud to be a member of the University of Iowa Hospital's Heartbeats Choir.  I was a founding member 20 years ago and even after my retirement from the hospital staff have continued with them as a volunteer.  We have done 4-10 music performances a year for the past 20 years.  Our music spans every genre.  As we are a state hospital we do a Holiday concert which includes a lot of seasonal secular music as well as tributes to Christianity, Hannukah and Kwanzaa.  We sing movie and show tunes, patriotic songs and rock and roll.  Our performances are at the University Hospital, Senior Centers, care centers, other parts of the university and several area churches.  In 1999 we were given a State of Iowa Award for Volunteer Service To The People Of Iowa.  This is a little back- ground and a way of letting you know some of what the Heartbeats do.

This past year our choir has joined with the Social Services at the University hospital to have a noon time gourmet dessert concert.  For a donation those in attendance  enjoyed any of the top level desserts furnished by the choir and social services groups and hear wonderful music at the same time.  The proceeds go to the Patient Assistance Fund.  This is a fund administered by Social Services at the hospital for those who might find themselves stranded either as a patient or family of a patient, without the means to buy meals, pay for a place to stay, have gas money to get home, or in some cases clothing to go home in.  The need is great especially at this time of the year.  We have held two such events.  Our first, one in the spring,  was a trial thing, but earned about $600.00. Our holiday concert did even better.

In addition the Heartbeats also sang a winter concert at the First Christian Church  at which a goodwill offering  was taken ,and this went to the same Patient Assistance Fund.  Our efforts this past week have earned nearly $1,000 for the Patient fund.  Wow!  $1600.00 in one year.  I am very proud to be a member of this group. 

P.S.  I have always sung tenor in this group so I am in the back row and never seem to be in pictures.   Our group was 24 strong on this day.  This photo is taken in our performance area, the 8 story glass and mirrored atrium of the hospital.