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!
