The Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts has raised $20,000 more than its fundraising
goal for this year's Center Stage Gala, and the event still is days away.
The center had sold all but 75 tickets earlier this week, according to Ted DeDee, McCoy
director.
The gala is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 8, at the arts center and will feature jazz
trumpet player and Grammy Award winner Chris Botti.
He has recorded with Frank Sinatra, Sting, Josh Groben, Michael Buble, Paul Simon, Joni
Mitchell, John Mayer, Andrea Bocelli, Joshua Bell and Steven Tyler.
His albums have been named No. 1 jazz album four times, and he has received Gold and Platinum
awards.
Botti also was voted one of the 50 most beautiful people in 2004 by People Magazine.
DeDee said he first heard Botti perform at the Kimmel Center for the Arts in Philadelphia.
"I happened to attend the gala that evening and had never heard of him before, and I was really
blown away by his performance," he said. "I kept him in the back of my mind."
He said Botti's name resurfaced when the McCoy board was selecting artists for the gala.
"It was one of those connections where we really felt, because of his caliber of musicianship,
he would really rank high in one of those memorable evenings that people would talk about long
after the performance was over with," DeDee said. "He is not a household name. However, those that
do know jazz and those that especially follow people that are really collaborating with other major
artists take notice of why these artists (are) collaborating with someone like Chris Botti."
Tickets for the gala are $75 and include a post-concert dessert reception. They can be purchased
at the McCoy website: www.mccoycenterforthearts.com. For more information regarding packages,
contact Julie Kriss at 245-4701.
The money raised from the gala will help cover the McCoy center's operating expenses and its
next season of artists.
"I think, overall, we have been very pleased with each one of these annual galas and the
response from the community," DeDee said.
