North Carolina's "Cleveland Rocks" Mission Group Entertains Hospice Patients

Visiting Baptist youth choirs from North Carolina performed at David Simpson Hospice House in Cleveland and Ames Family Hospice House on E. 185th St. and Ames Family Hospice House in Westlake.

It’s no secret to those of us who live here that Cleveland is in the midst of a major revitalization. All the “buzz” about our hometown has reached into rural North Carolina. Sixty middle school and high school students from the combined youth choirs of First Baptist Church of Mount Holly and Marion, North Carolina were inspired to plan a “Cleveland Rocks” mission trip.

The mission trip included a special performance for patients, caregivers and families at David Simpson Hospice House on E. 185th Street. “It was a multi-cultural concert, with some songs sung in Latin, one in Spanish and one in an African dialect,” said Lori Scotese, Coordinator of Volunteers for Hospice of the Western Reserve. “During one song, all of the choir members held hands in a gesture of peace and unity. Our patients, caregivers and families were so moved that they joined hands, too. The choir director remarked afterward that the group’s performance at our hospice house was by far the most meaningful concert on their tour for the young people, and one they would never forget.  

While in Cleveland, the choir members also performed at Ames Family Hospice House in Westlake as well as several other locations, and took part in mission projects with the Cleveland Food Bank, The City Mission, the Men’s Shelter, and the Lutheran Metro Ministries. They also reserved enough time to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, the Greater Cleveland Aquarium and a few other attractions while in town. One of the highlights of their trip was an opportunity to sing the National Anthem at a Cleveland Indians game.

The two choirs have performed mission tours across the United States, most recently to New York City, Chicago, and San Antonio. The Choir is under the direction of father and son Ministers of Music Terry and Brian Childers. Music for the concerts is drawn from a repertoire spanning hundreds of years, from classical to contemporary.

Laurie Henrichsen, Public/Media Relations Coordinator, Hospice of the Western Reserve.

Laurie Henrichsen

Laurie Henrichsen, Public/Media Relations Coordinator, Hospice of the Western Reserve

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Volume 5, Issue 6, Posted 11:37 AM, 06.30.2013