Funds Shortage Perils March 22 Young People’s Concert in Whittier

4-year tradition may come to an end if the Rio Hondo Symphony Assn. is unable to raise $8,000 in time to present its final concert of the season March 22, association President Evelyn Leong said. The event in question is the annual Young People’s Concert, which this year will honor the Whittier Centennial.

The orchestra, which presents four free concerts a year in the Whittier High School Auditorium, is partially sponsored by the cities of Whittier, Pico Rivera and Santa Fe Springs. Together they contribute $7,000 of the association’s $45,000 budget. The balance comes from individuals and businesses, and through fund raising by the Symphony Guild.

“Attendance at our concerts has grown steadily in recent years, with at least 1,200 at each concert in 1986 and 1987,” Leong said. Last year’s Young People’s Concert filled the 2,442-seat auditorium to capacity, she added.