2025 Children Helping Children Performathon

Benefit for Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC®)

CHAIRPERSONS: SUZANNE LEHRER & BETTY STOLOFF (njmtaperformathon@gmail.com)

The NJMTA Children Helping Children Performathon (CHCP) is an opportunity for students of all levels and ages to perform for both artistic enrichment and community service.

Join us as we celebrate the 19th year of the NJMTA Performathon!

This year, we are raising funds for the three Ronald McDonald Houses in New Jersey. For those of you who may not be familiar with Ronald McDonald Houses, they are houses that are attached to a local children’s hospital. They provide a “home away from home” for countless families in need of a place to eat and sleep while a child is undergoing intensive treatment at the local hospital.

The NJMTA 2025 Performathon: On March 1 and March 2, there will be as many as 15 separate 1-hour concerts devoted to raising money for the Ronald McDonald Houses. Before the concerts, the performers will collect donations for any of the 3 Ronald McDonald Houses.

To date, the NJMTA Children Helping Children Performathon has raised over $200,000! Recitals are free and open to the public.

Students are encouraged (not required) to submit a poem, a drawing, an essay, a collage or a painting to reflect on the title “What Music Means to Me.” In addition, this written or visual companion work could be related to any piece of music.

DATES and LOCATIONS: Saturday and Sunday, March 1 & March 2, 2025
Steinway & Sons -Princeton
The Arts Council of Princeton

HOW to ENTER: Sign Up Genius will be available during the registration period.

RECITAL FORMAT: All recitals will be about 1 hour, with 45 minutes of music and 15 minutes of set-up, awards and photos.

FEE: There is no Registration fee.
Students collect donations for any of the 3 Ronald Mcdonald Houses in New Jersey.

SUGGESTED MINIMUM COLLECTION: $65 PER STUDENT

Registration Period: Monday, January 6, 2025 through Monday, February 10, 2025
Please register in a timely manner.

Teachers, we need your help. Please plan to help out at the recitals.

Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC®), a non-profit, 501 ©(3), creates, finds and supports programs that directly improve the health and well being of children. RMHC fulfills its mission by creating programs that address targeted needs, and by supporting these programs through its global network of local Chapters in 51 countries and regions. RMHC Chapters are run by boards comprised of members of the local medical community, business and civic leaders, parents/volunteers, and McDonald’s representatives.

We want to thank all the student musicians, artists and their parents whose time and efforts made the 2024 NJMTA Children Helping Children Performathon (CHCP) a huge success again this year!

For six years in a row, the New Jersey Music Teachers Association has sponsored this event — raising money for HomeFront's children's program, “Joy, Hopes & Dreams,” which provides after-school, weekend and summer activities and experiences for low-income and homeless children, from tutoring for school work to experiences with music, art, theater and sports.

With your help, the Performathon raised $11,395!

And every dollar raised helps kids grow and learn. As Chris Marchetti, known as “Mr. Chris,” the Director of the Joy, Hopes & Dreams team, says:

“Our goal every year is to turn this group of kids
into an extended family where they
feel safe and learn to have each other's backs.
This is an essential element of self-confidence.”

Thank you again for your hard work and your support -
we couldn't do what we do without people like you!

“HomeFront’s mission is to end homelessness in Central New Jersey by harnessing the caring, resources and expertise of the community. We lessen the immediate pain of homelessness and help families become self-sufficient. We work to give our clients the skills and opportunities to ensure adequate incomes, and we work to increase the availability of adequate, affordable housing. We help homeless families advocate for themselves individually and collectively."

More information can be found at: https://www.homefrontnj.org/childrens-programs/

By participating in any NJMTA event, parents give permission to the New Jersey Music Teachers Association(NJMTA) to use photographs or videos of your child taken by NJMTA representative, with appropriate captions, in NJMTA publications, on the NJMTA website, social media and/or in the local newspapers. If you do not wish NJMTA to use your child’s photos/videos in any way, kindly notify the chairperson of the event in which your child is participating.

“Thank you for helping local children in need!
Your amazing work with the students who performed in the NJMTA “Performathon” recital resulted in many wonderful donations that will go directly to HomeFront’s Joy, Hopes and Dreams program.
These thoughtful donations will help fund programming that provides over 400 kids with weekly tutoring, field trips, sports, fitness programs, art classes, life skills training and leadership coaching. As you know, great futures become possible when our youth are allowed to thrive in a supportive situation.
Our congratulations to you for what I am sure was a difficult task teaching the students in such a difficult environment. We know your efforts not only enriched your students’ lives, but will also help so many of the children we serve every day.
With my sincere gratitude,
Connie, HomeFront
(At least 90% of every donated dollar goes directly to client services.)”

2023 PERFORMATHON

Held on Sunday, March 5, 2023, in the Cullen Center on the Westminster Choir College campus, the 2023 NJMTA Children Helping Children Performathon comprised almost 200 students of 55 teachers in 14 recitals ! It was wonderful to have such beautiful performances throughout the day!

The total amount raised and donated directly to the children’s program at HomeFront this year was $11,602!

We are grateful to our sponsors, Jacob’s Music, Camp Encore/Coda, JD Hill Music, Freehold Music Center, and McCaffrey’s Food Markets for helping to cover the expenses to run this event.

Thank you to all performers, volunteers, teachers, and families for your participation and support!