Quincy Symphony Orchestra Association donors honored at Quincy Country Club ceremony

QUINCY — The Quincy Symphony Orchestra Association recognized eight people and families at a ceremony on May 18 at Quincy Country Club. These charter members of the Key Holder Club donated $151,000 to the organization’s endowment fund.

For more than 75 years, the QSOA has been a part of the region’s performing arts community, providing concerts and education while enhancing the quality of life for Quincy. The Key Holder Club is boosting the non-profit’s endowment fund to ensure performances for generations to come.

Consisting of Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Ruby Keys, the campaign has received $315,000 in pledges toward its $1 million goal.

The event celebrated five completed Bronze Keys: 

• “In Loving Memory of Carolyn Eakle Kirk Key,”
• “Gerry & Loree Korb Family Key,”
• “Jerry & Lois Kruse Family Key,”
• “Barbara McClean Estate Key” and the
• “Delmer & Barbara Mitchell Family Key.”

Also celebrated were one fully-funded Silver Key, the “Lee Paige Lindsay Key,” and two fully-funded Gold Keys, the “Webb Family Key” and “Kay Dunham Wilkinson Estate Key.” Donors received a limited edition pin and memento key.

Barbara Mitchell explained in a press release why her family endowed a key.

“When Delmer and I moved to Quincy, one of our first cultural outings was a QSO concert,” she said. “We were mesmerized and in awe of what we saw and heard. Later we learned that the orchestra began performing in 1947. That means we’ve just enjoyed its 76th season. We donated to the Key Program to help support the QSOA Endowment so that 76 years from now, people can still be mesmerized and in awe of what they see and hear at a Quincy Symphony concert.”

The QSOA Board of Directors invites the public’s participation in this ongoing effort to ensure a bright future for the non-profit organization. Donors are invited to join the Key Holder Club for themselves or to honor a loved one. Their keys will be recognized on displays and in concert programs in perpetuity.

A key holder quest begins with as little as $1,000. Participants have up to five years to build their keys. Bronze keys are fully endowed at $10,000, Silver keys at $20,000, Gold keys at $30,000, and Ruby keys at $50,000 and beyond. Estate gifts of more than $10,000 are named with a key designated at their level. Keys may be named to honor a family, person or business. Others may donate to meet a key holder goal or increase a key to the next level.

Key holders are building a secure base of assets in the Standing Room Only (SRO) Endowment Fund, a trust established in 1974 to provide perpetual income to the QSOA. Donations are tax-deductible and build the principal of the fund. A portion of the earnings is distributed annually to the QSOA. The principal and undistributed earnings are retained to protect the long-term investment of the fund.

“The goal of the Key Campaign is to double the endowment while offering a way to honor supporters who love the organization. Many families have come to concerts for generations and want to ensure the symphony’s future,” Key Campaign founder Loree Korb said. “The endowment serves as a springboard for building a sustainable tomorrow. It’s a legacy that impacts countless generations.”

Contributions may be one-time, recurring monthly or yearly pledges toward a key goal. Legacy planning is a way to support the QSOA and includes bequests in a will, gifts of assets from tax-deferred retirement plans such as IRAs and 401(k)s, or gifts of stocks, securities or life insurance.

The Quincy Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1947 by George M. Irwin, Together with the Symphony Chorus (1972), Quincy Area Youth Orchestra (1988), Quincy Area Youth Chorus (1995), and Encore! Symphony Volunteer Council (1954), five groups form the QSOA. Their mission is to bring fine symphonic music to the people of the Quincy area, to provide organizations for local musicians to perform such music and to create and support programs that encourage young musicians to foster their interest and skills in symphonic and choral music.

 To join the Key Holder Club, call the QSOA Office at 217-222-2856 or visit www.qsoa.org and click on Support Us / Legacy Giving.