The Lira Ensemble

A Word About Donations

May 15, 2007

Dear Friends of Lira:

80 performances each year!

As the nation’s only professional performing arts company specializing in Polish music, song and dance, the Lira Ensemble gives at least 80 performances each year, sometimes as many as one hundred.

The Lira Symphony, Lira Piano Quintet, Lira String Quartet, the Lira Singers, Lira Dancers, Lira Chamber Chorus and Children’s Chorus elegantly and consistently present Polish musical culture to Americans, often representing the Polish-American community, building bridges of understanding and winning respect for Poland and Polonia.

Most of these performances include folk garb from various regions of Poland and costumes of various Polish historic periods. Authentic and colorful costumes are an important part of every Lira appearance - but are very expensive to buy and maintain. Most of them are made in Poland, where prices are constantly rising as the country attempts to pull itself up to the economic level of rest of the European Union. Meanwhile, the value of the dollar has been falling in relation to the euro. One costume for one singer or dancer now costs about $500.

This leaves the Lira Ensemble in a difficult situation. We cannot do our work without Polish costumes and the costumes are wearing out quickly. We constantly need to repair and re-fit them, as well as to replace them when they become too worn out.

So, we turn to you, our kind supporters, to help us with donations for our costume fund. Any amount will be helpful and we respectfully ask you to be generous. We believe that you know Lira will put both your gift and the costumes to good use.

Your donation will help Lira continue to look good as we work to bring the best of Polish culture into American life - and our costumes will also be put to good use in the Broadway-style production which Lira will present around the entire United States as soon as we have raised enough funds:

“ZaprasZamy! An American Celebration of Polish Song and Dance”

Your donation is fully tax deductible and we will provide a receipt for tax purposes.

Donations can be made over the phone with a credit card at 1-800-547-5472

Or via check mailed to: The Lira Ensemble, 6525 N. Sheridan Road #CH-LL, Chicago, Illinois 60626

Sincerely,

Donald W. Grabowski, Sr. Lucyna Migala

Chairman of the Board of Directors Co-Founder, Artistic Director & General Manager

We also respectfully ask that you remember the Lira Ensemble when you write or update your will.

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