The 24th Annual Holiday Evening at Edison State Community College will return, reformatted, to an in-person event on Wednesday, December 1, 2021, at 6:30 p.m. After holding the event virtually last year, The Edison Foundation has developed another creative plan for 2021 Holiday Evening: Classical to Country—the first-ever multi-stage walkabout.
Stan Evans and Tracy Tryon have been named this year’s Co-Chairs of Holiday Evening.
Evans has been involved with The Edison Foundation for numerous years and previously served as Chairman of Holiday Evening in 2018.
“Holiday Evening is our major fundraiser, so to be Co-Chair of this function gives me a direct opportunity to help raise money for our students and assist the staff,” Evans said.
In addition to The Edison Foundation, Evans is active in the community through his church, Rotary, Chamber of Commerce, United Way, city committees, and the Masonic Lodge. He is currently Chairman of the Board of the Springfield Masonic Community, where he serves over 300 residents and over 200 staff members.
Tryon joined The Edison Foundation board two years ago. He’s been involved in the Greenville community for many years, having taught in the Greenville school system for over 24 years and served on the Greenville City Council for over 18 years. Tryon is also involved with many boards and serves as Chairman of the Elk Lodge scholarship program.
He stressed the significance of Holiday Evening at Edison State. “It allows the continued growth of The Edison Foundation’s programs and Edison State’s educational opportunities, which help grow the workforce development within the communities that are being served by the college.”
Created to address COVID concerns and protect the event’s guests and artists, the multi-stage walkabout will include three stages at various locations on campus, encouraging attendees to come and go as they like. The multi-stage walkabout also prevents large groups from gathering and being in one location for long periods.
“Like last year’s event, because of the pandemic, we had to come up with a different plan,” said Evans. “Taking that into account, we’ve planned a fun evening in a way that keeps guests moving to several food, beverage, and entertainment locations.”
“One other change this year will be a ‘come and go’ format, not a ‘sit down’ and have a meal format with a big crowd in one place,” he added.
Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., and entertainment will begin at 7:00 p.m. simultaneously on three distinct stages. Guests can enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres and beverages while walking from stage to stage and taking in the festive atmosphere.
The artists performing at this year’s event include Clark Manson, Adelee & Gentry, David Wion, and Rachael Boezi. Manson is a Covington native and country musician who writes and co-produces his music. Adelee & Gentry are sisters from West Alexandria who have performed together for the past 10 years. Dayton Daily News – Life + Active Dayton.com has described their music as folk-pop with a rootsy base.
Both Wion and Boezi are classical musicians and part of the Troy-Hayner Cultural Center’s staff—Wion as director and Boezi as assistant director. Wion is a pianist and lifelong resident of West Milton who holds a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance and a Master of Music in Composition. Boezi, from Troy, is a mezzo-soprano who studied voice at the DePauw University School of Music and the Hochschule für Musik in Vienna, Austria.
The Edison Foundation chose artists from Edison State’s service area to continue supporting and promoting local artists who have experienced limited performance opportunities during the COVID pandemic.
“These artists all have local ties, which is important,” Tryon said. “We’re growing from the communities that we’re involved with.”
Holiday Evening is The Edison Foundation’s most successful fundraiser—and has become a holiday staple for many in the region. Proceeds from this year’s event will help The Edison Foundation assist Edison State in meeting its education and community service goals by providing resources to advance student success. The Edison Foundation accomplishes this through scholarships, student emergency assistance, employee mini-grants, and capital improvement.
“An education costs money, pure and simple, so anything we can do to help students with that burden is a very good thing,” said Evans. “Likewise, having a more educated pool in a community is a big plus for that community. Economic research figures for the area show this to be true.”
For more information about Holiday Evening: Classical to Country, please visit www.edisonohio.edu/he; email Rick Hanes, Vice President of Advancement, Strategic Planning, & Partnerships and Executive Director of The Edison Foundation; or call 937.778.7806. If you would like more information about becoming an event sponsor or to be added to the event mailing list, email The Edison Foundation.
Photos: Stan Evans and Tracy Tryon