Anticipation is running extraordinarily high for this year’s A Little Night of Music. When we return to the Grand Ole Opry House on Wednesday, April 24, it will mark the 20th anniversary of PENCIL’s signature fundraiser. And Creative Artists Agency, our Presenting Sponsor and founder of this special event, is only intensifying the excitement by keeping the performer’s identity an absolute secret from everyone, even PENCIL!
So, while we all wait with bated breath to see who will show up on the Opry stage, we want to introduce you to our amazing co-chairs. Kfir Alexandroni, Kia Goodwin, and Ana Schwager are wrapping up details for the night, including the spectacular silent and live auctions full of music memorabilia, local experiences, and fantastic getaways. Yes, the always-popular Ultimate Southwest Airlines Getaway package is back!
Kfir is Aprio LLP’s Assurance Services Manager, and PENCIL is proud to say that he is an Executive Board Member, Facilities Committee Co-Chair, and member of our Finance Committee. A very serious bidder, he appreciates the outpouring of generosity shown by attendees during our auctions. “I am inspired by the ability of our local citizens and their valuable resources, both intellectually and financially, to support teachers and their classrooms,” Kfir explains. “We can see the immediate and direct impact it has on the students as they feel supported and learn effectively.”
Kia was introduced to us in 2018 when a then-coworker and PENCIL board member encouraged her to sign up as a literacy tutor. She moved to Brown-Forman to be its Global Senior Manager – Indirect Procurement but continues volunteering in reading and helping students in mock interviews. Kia’s parents instilled in her the value of giving back to the community, and we’re fortunate she has chosen to do so at PENCIL. “There is an African proverb, ‘Each One Teach One.’ The idea is to spread knowledge for the betterment of your community,” says Kia. “That is exactly what PENCIL does, which aligns with my personal values.”
Ana is a loyal volunteer personally and generous PENCIL sponsor as Southwest Airlines’ Senior Corporate Responsibility Program Manager. In fact, we were one of the first organizations she met through her job after she landed in Music City in 2004. “I believe my first A Little Night of Music was in 2006 with Keith Urban and Jars of Clay at the Country Music Hall of Fame!” she recalls. Ana supports PENCIL’s work because “it is vital to not only providing students with tools and resources, but also helping them imagine the breadth of career opportunities that are possible through PENCIL’s partners.”
Kfir, Kia, and Ana all agree that the best part of A Little Night of Music is the community coming together for wonderful music and the energy and excitement that they bring in support of PENCIL’s programs and services for Metro Schools students and teachers. Join them for the fun – and see who the performer will be – on April 24 by your purchasing tickets here: https://give.classy.org/ALNM24.
