Thanks for supporting aCATpella Festival

Jennifer Goodwin, writing for the Goodwin/Malatesta family sent this letter to the editor:

The third annual a CATpella Festival to Belt Out Cancer benefit concert was held on Jan. 25, 2019, to a near sold-out audience. We love how this benefit concert is quickly becoming a beloved community event.

Seven local a cappella groups, the AHS Madrigal Singers, Winchester High Octets, the BC Acoustics, the Common Tones of Boston College, UMASS Vocal Suspects, Tufts Beelzebubs and Sound Off, as well as the Boston Singing Cops, volunteered their time to create a magical evening of warmth, light and love to honor the life of Catherine Malatesta and to raise money for the Catherine J. Malatesta Foundation.

An incredible $51,000 was raised through ticket sales, raffles and an online auction and then matched by a private benefactor for a whopping $102,000.

We are so thankful for our generous sponsors, Epizyme platinum sponsor, Sanborn Foundation and Prime Motor Group, gold sponsors, Belmont Orthodontics, silver sponsor and W. L. French Excavating and Top Notch Contracting, bronze sponsors.

We would like to thank the following businesses and friends who donated a service, raffle items or on-line auction items:

Foundation to be Named Later, Mahoney's Garden Center, Brother's Lawn Service, Hotel Commonwealth, Mira Whiting Photography, Ferriss Donham, Prime Motor Group, Love Your Melon, Dolan Family, Laiosa Family, Terry Family, Saulnier Family, Acme Organizing, Castellucci Family, Weber Family, Wonder Yoga, Upbeat Cycling, Blush Hair Salon, Jojoba Nails and Spa, Black Crow Yoga, SweatFixx, Paddy's Lunch, Helena's, McDonald Contracting, The Flatbread Company, Menotomy Wine & Beer, Great Harvest Baking Co., Not Your Average Joe's, Debbie Brosnan, Stella & Dot, Za, Quebrada, Tryst, Prime Butcher, Jimmy's Steer House, Trader Joe's, Tango, Fusion Taste, Cafe Granola, Cookie Time Bakery, Sweats of Rockport, Punjab and Common Ground.

Thank you to the Arlington Public Schools for the use of the Lowe Auditorium. We are always treated so well by the facilities and custodial staff. Thank you to the talented junior students in Minuteman Technical High School’s Design and Visual Communications department who designed our program, tickets and promotional posters and who printed all the promotional materials.

We would like to extend a special thanks to Lindsey Mills who served as our fabulous emcee for the evening. Lindsey is an Arlington native and anchor/reporter for News Center 5 in Portland, Maine.

Last, thank you to all of the patrons who bought tickets and attended the concert. We look forward to seeing you again next year.

This letter was published Wednesday, April 24, 2019.