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Valentine's Dance, Singing Valentines at BFHS |
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February 17, 2016 |
by Mary Fioravanti
 There
are usually numerous activities buzzing around
the Bonners Ferry High School on Valentine's
Day. In past years, the BFHS Foreign Language
Society (FLS) puts on an annual Valentine’s
dance, which includes a photographer for taking
portraits. This year the dance was at the BFHS
gymnasium on Friday, February 12.
The purpose of this Valentine’s dance was to
raise money for supporting the high school's
children's international student, Ivonne, and to
supply money for senior scholarships. Ivonne has
been sponsored by the FLS club for nine years
now, since she was six. She lives in Quito,
Ecuador. The Valentine's Dance is held each year
to provide Ivonne with adequate school supplies
and to meet her living needs, according to Linda
Hall, the high school’s FLS advisor. Last year
the dance raised about $600 to be used for
clothes, housing services for her family,
immunizations and treatments, and to send her
some birthday money.
But dancing is not all that’s happening at the
high school around Valentine's Day . . .
Singing Valentine’s hit the town as a sweet
surprise last Thursday, making people’s days
much brighter than they were expecting. The
Bonners Ferry High School Honor Choir serenaded
special loved ones again this year just before
Valentine's Day with a live performance of love
songs to sweep those Valentines off their feet.
Many people were touched and hearts warmed when
they heard the Honor Choir singing just for
them.
The singing Valentine tradition started about 13
years ago, estimated Dawn Carpenter, who helps
out with every musical activity at the high
school. She noted that the tradition started
with former Bonners Ferry High School choral
director Vicki Blake.
Singing Valentine delivery day began with Honor
Choir members meeting at the school to practice
just before beginning the long day ahead of
them. They started early in the morning at 8:00
a.m., finishing up somewhere around 4:00 p.m.
after literally singing all day! This is also
astonishing due to the fact that the last couple
of years they've finished their Cupid duties in
the darkness of night, as late as 9:00 p.m. The
choir, along with choral director David
Carpenter and bus driver Gary Umphress,
romantically rambled all over Bonners Ferry,
Moyie Springs, Paradise Valley, and Naples,
making lovely music for those who had
pre-ordered the musical Valentines.
Traveling to wherever the sender requested, the
Honor Choir happily showed up singing at the
doorstep of the surprised recipient of the
singing Valentine. The Choir then handed over a
rose and a card, and recited a poem to the
receiver, finishing with one last song and
wishing everyone a "Happy Valentine's Day!" This
year the singing Valentine song selection
included "Crazy Little Thing Called Love,"
"L-O-V-E," and "My Girl." The songs were quite
versatile, for example, when singing to men,
they replaced "My Girl" with "My Guy."
Singing to people on Valentine’s Day, “Reaffirms
my belief that everyone needs human connection,”
said choral director David Carpenter, when asked
what his favorite thing was about the special
singing event. Other students in the Honor choir
agreed in unison that they love to make people
happy!
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