La Plata Business Association awards CCPS $30,000 for fine and performing arts programs
At the November 15 meeting of the Charles County Board of Education, Island Music Company’s Keith Grasso presented a check for $30,000 to Charles County Public Schools’ (CCPS) fine arts and performing arts programs. The donation is a collective effort by local and national businesses that contribute to the advancement of fine and performing arts program resources at CCPS.
Every year since 2013, the La Plata Business Association (LPBA) partners with CCPS to host a community-wide fine and performing arts event called Rocktoberfest. This year’s event was set to be one of the best since the COVID-19 pandemic halted in-person gatherings, but was canceled due to heavy rain, Grasso said. There were about 60 sponsors for this year’s planned event. “This year was set to be the best Rocktoberfest ever, and I can control everything but the weather,” Grasso said.
The event is for community members to listen to live music, shop from local vendors, and spend time with friends and family. “It’s a great community event with three or four different stages set up and vendors around the place,” said Tim Bodamer, CCPS fine and performing arts content specialist.
The event has “bands performing and rotating on stages playing for the community, activities for kids and family, and the CCPS high school jazz and marching bands,” Bodamer said.
Money raised from Rocktoberfest is donated to CCPS’ fine and performing arts programs. “We’ve gone from a $1,500 donation from the first event to a $60,000 donation the last time we had an event; before COVID,” said Bodamer.
Bodamer presented what the LPBA donation has been used for in the past. Some uses include providing instruments to students in need; adding to the CCPS instrument library, providing art supplies to enhance classrooms, hiring clinicians to work with students and teachers on classroom instruction plus much more.
About CCPS
Charles County Public Schools provides 27,000 students in grades kindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 37 schools that provide a technologically advanced, progressive and high-quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, career and higher education.
The Charles County Public School System does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in programs, activities or employment practices. For questions, please contact Kathy Kiessling, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial M. Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (employees/adults), at County Public Schools Charles, Administration Jesse L. Starkey Building, PO Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks before the event.
CCPS provides non-discriminatory equal access to school facilities in accordance with facility use rules for certain youth groups (including, but not limited to, Boy Scouts).
