DGS' Jazz Ensemble Receives $10,000 for New York Trip from Rotary Clubs, Spirit of Music Fund

Next month, the members of the Downers Grove South Jazz Ensemble will travel to New York City for the 16th annual "Essentially Ellington" High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival. 

Those 15 were selected from 110 bands that applied to perform.

The selection is a high honor for the jazz ensemble. But it's an honor the ensemble has to pay for -- the students need to cover expenses for the trip. 

Members of the ensemble got some financial help from four local Rotary clubs last Tuesday. 

Rotary Clubs from Woodridge, Darien, Downers Grove, and Westmont presented the group with a check for $7,000, designated for the New York trip and for the music program in general in District 99. 

Mark Samel also presented the group with a $3,000 check from the Michael David Samel Spirit of Music Fund. That fund is in honor of Michael Samel, Mark Samel's son and past District 99 musician who died in 2001 at the age of 16. 

The jazz ensemble received those checks at a special preview concert organized by the Rotary clubs at Seven Bridges Golf Club. 

According to a press release from the Woodridge Rotary Club, the Rotary Foundation provided a portion of the funding through a joint grant developed by the four Rotary clubs. 

"Each local club contributed at least a $1,000 to the grant and the Foundation added a 50% match," the release said. 

“Our support shows how much we respect the commitment that theseyoung people have made to the music program—and how proud weare of their participation,” said Rich Moore, Woodridge Rotarian, in the release.

Moore who worked with Samel to bring the Rotary Foundation and the Darien, Downers, Westmont, and Woodridge Rotary Clubs together for this effort.