ALLPORT – Local musicians will unite Saturday, June 5 to pay tribute to the memory of Bryan Ennis, a West Branch Area Elementary School sixth grader who died five years ago, and raise money for a scholarship fund established in his name.
The fifth annual memorial concert Music, Music and more Music will be held beginning at 7:15 p.m. at Gethsemane United Methodist Church in Allport, where Bryan attended church and Sunday school.
The event is brainchild of the Ennis family, who chose to mourn their son and little brother by celebrating his life and his love of music. Jeff and Miriam Ennis, Bryan’s parents, and Jennifer Sproull and Tim Ennis, Bryan’s older siblings, organize the event to coincide with Bryan’s birthday – June 10.
“This (music) was one of the top three things Bryan loved the most, besides church and sports,” explained his father, Jeff. “With Bryan gone, this is a way to honor his memory and do something he can’t do for himself, give out the scholarships.”
Music, Music and More Music, features a variety of talent that appeals to anyone’s ear, including contemporary, Christian, country, easy listening, show tunes and Broadway hits. Performers include dad Jeff and his quartet Hearts ‘n Song, which also includes Eloise Pifer-Rice, Edie Brown and this year Dan Nelson, as well as Sister Jennifer, who taught her younger brother music at West Branch. Also performing will be Joe Quick and Brenda Webber, Dan Trunzo, Al and Karen Hewitt, and The First Presbyterian Church of Philipsburg Quartet, and to close the concert, the DuBois Vocal Arts Ensemble.
Admission to the concert is free but a good will offering will be accepted. All proceeds benefit the Bryan Gregory Ennis Memorial Scholarship Fund, which will award three $500 scholarships on the night of the concert to graduating seniors of Clearfield, Curwensville, Glendale, Moshannon Valley, Philipsburg-Osceola or West Branch area school districts.
In addition to the concert, there is a memorial baseball tournament and family carnival slated for June 19 at Martha’s Park in Lanse. Proceeds from that event also benefit the scholarship fund.
Press Release by Jaime Bumbarger