Children’s Choir Returns To Fox Theatre, Parishes

Published: September 25, 2003

ATLANTA—The Children’s Choir of Getsemani from Chinandega, Nicaragua, will return to Atlanta for the sixth year as part of their international tour to promote peace and diversity and raise awareness about the poor and destitute in their country.

The choir performed for the first time in October 1998, with a tremendous response from Georgians.

The choir’s visit is sponsored by the international nonprofit relief organization Amigos for Christ, based in Buford. The group will perform at churches, schools and festivals, and also at the Amigos’ major fund-raiser, the Amigos for Niños Fiesta, on Friday, Oct. 24 from 7-11 p.m. at the Fox Theatre in midtown Atlanta. The host is FOX-5 news anchor Russ Spencer, who participated in a 2003 mission trip through Amigos for Christ to Chinandega with his daughter Maria.

The choir, which consists of 15 boys, ages 10-16, was formed to provide awareness of and funding for the education, feeding, medical and water projects carried out in Nicaragua by Amigos for Christ and Franciscan missionary priest Father Marco Dessy. The choir strikes chords of hope as members play, sing and dance using traditional Latin and worship music.

“With my job with the choir, I helped these projects to grow up,” said former Getsemani choirboy Lester Salinas, an engineer who now works for Father Dessy and oversaw construction of an Amigos hospital in Chinandega. “We know why we are there. We are conscious that we are not just acting or performing. We have a purpose.”

The schedule includes: Sept. 30, 7 p.m., Prince of Peace Church, Buford; Oct. 1, noon, Jasper Rotary Club; Oct. 3, Pickens Middle School and Big Canoe Chapel, Jasper; Oct. 4, 5:30 p.m. and Oct. 5, 9 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 12:30 p.m., St. Monica’s Church, Duluth; Oct. 5, 7:15 p.m., St. Joseph’s Church, Athens; Oct. 6, 1:30 p.m., 2:15 p.m., St. Joseph School, Athens; Oct. 22, 10:15 a.m., 11:15 a.m., Hopkins Elementary School; Oct. 23, 9 a.m., Marist School, Atlanta; Oct. 24, 7 p.m., Amigos for Niños Fiesta, Fox Theatre; Oct. 26, 10 a.m., 5 p.m., Catholic Center, UGA, Athens.

For information call (770) 614-9250, visit www.AmigosForChrist.org or write info@AmigosForChrist.org.