Ronald McDonald House of Detroit benefits from Kimmie Horne’s jazz concert

People who attended the Kimmie Horne Jazz Festival 2017 in Lathrup Village in August heard some great music from the smooth and silky singer, her jazz quintet and other gifted performers. The concert garnered donations and sponsorships that enabled Kimmie to donate a percentage of the proceeds to the Ronald McDonald House of Detroit.

The funds will be used to purchase headsets for the entertainment area of the new Family Room that is being constructed at Children’s Hospital of Michigan. The room will be a place for families to relax and get special attention from the Ronald McDonald House of Detroit. The House itself is located one mile north of the hospital at 4707 St. Antoine in Detroit’s Midtown neighborhood. The room will open in the late fall.

Kimmie launched the eponymous jazz festival in 2016.

Her festival's quintet consists of Al McKenzie on the keyboards, Darrell (Peanut) Smith on bass, Kali Douglas on keyboards and Jeff Canady on the drums, coupled with background singers Athena Johnson, Jill Hamilton and her older brother Tony Horne on percussions and vocals. “We continue to sound the horn,” is a phrase that Kimmie likes to use to underscore the family connection. Her late great aunt was singer Lena Horne and her late Uncle Cleveland Horne was a member of the singing group, The Fantastic Four.

Kimmie was introduced to the House and its executive director, Jennifer Litomisky, by the late Deborah Virgiles, a successful McDonalds franchise owner who served on the board of the House for many years. “I met Jen and saw all the things that the House was doing to help families. I asked them to be a recipient of the concert,” Kimmie said

The House provides a room and meals in a supportive environment for families with a child who is undergoing extensive medical care at a nearby facility. The House becomes a home for these families thanks to the compassion, fellowship and kindness shown by staff and volunteers during their stay.