Lennox Choral Department receives $2,500 LACF grant
The Lennox School District Choral Department has received a $2,500 grant from the Lennox Area Community Fund (LACF) to support the district’s growing music program. A check was recently presented to the choral department.
The funding is part of LACF’s 2026 grant cycle, which supported 14 local organizations this year. Other recipients include the Love INC, Lincoln County 4-H, EmBe, Lennox Fire Department, Junior Achievement South Dakota, Kind Kitchens, Lennox Area Historical Society, Lennox Community Library, Lennox Bands, Chancellor Fire Department, Olde Towne Dinner Theatre, and the Worthing Fire Department.
The grant the Lennox Choral Department received will help the department purchase additional choir folders, a djembe, a portable PA system and new choral music. The resources are expected to support daily instruction while providing additional opportunities for students to perform.
The Lennox Choral Department currently serves more than 170 students in grades 7-12 and has experienced significant growth in recent years. According to 7-12 Vocal Music Instructor Carson Covey’s grant application, high school choir enrollment has increased by 129% since the fall of 2023, while junior high choir enrollment has also continued to grow.
The choral department’s primary goal is to provide students with a well-rounded musical education while giving them opportunities to develop and share their talents.
Lennox choirs perform four concerts each year that are open to the public. Students also participate in state and regional honor choirs, All-State Choir, large group contests and solo and ensemble contests.
The choir program has also expanded its performances beyond the school district. In recent years, Lennox choir students have provided music at area assisted living facilities in Lennox, Viborg and Marion, including performances for Veterans Day programs and during the Christmas season.
“Students have shared their gifts and talents with the residents of these facilities by providing music for Veterans Day programs and around the Christmas season,” Covey wrote in the application. “This not only benefits the residents of these facilities, but it also teaches our students about service and the impact that our service can have on others.”
The department’s regular budget must cover a variety of annual expenses, including music, piano tuning, event registration fees, judges’ fees and travel, meals and lodging for events such as All-State Choir in Rapid City.
Sheet music is one of the department’s largest annual expenses. The average octavo costs approximately $2.65 per copy, and the department currently shares music among ensembles because it does not have enough copies and folders for every student.
The annual music budget for the three junior high and high school choirs is approximately $2,315. Each ensemble performs three to five pieces at each of the four concerts held throughout the year.
“With our exploding choir numbers,” Covey wrote, “we are in need to supplement our regular budget in order to purchase items that will be of long-term use to our choir department and potentially supplement our current budget for additional music.”
The LACF grant will provide additional choir folders, including replacing worn folders and increasing the number available for students, the purchase a djembe for concerts and performances, and portable PA system, which can be used to play choral tracks and as a classroom microphone system.
Since 2004, the LACF has supported nonprofits in Lennox, Chancellor, and Worthing through donor contributions. Community members are encouraged to learn more or contribute at lennoxareacommunityfund.org.
Local nonprofits are reminded that the annual deadline for LACF grant applications is in early August. Next week’s edition will highlight additional grant recipients from this year’s funding cycle.