The Delta Upsilon Fraternity at the University of North Dakota (UND) is set to host a concert on February 22, 2024, to raise funds for the Backpack Program, which provides essential food supplies to local school children over weekends. The event will feature music professors Nariaki Sugiura and Simona Barbu, performing as the duo Duo Cantabile. The concert will take place at the fraternity’s newly built house located at 421 Princeton Street, beginning at 14:30.
This performance, part of a series titled “Music with a Mission,” aims to raise at least $9,000 to support the food program. Attendees will enjoy a selection of hors d’oeuvres provided by Scott and Rachel Franz of Ely’s Ivy, paired with red and white wines. Tours of the fraternity house will also be offered during the event. Admission is priced at $15 per person, and attendees are encouraged to consider donating an additional $100 or more to maximize the impact on food security for low-income K-12 students in the region.
The Backpack Program currently serves approximately 1,500 food-insecure students in Greater Grand Forks. Each Friday during the academic year, eligible students receive backpacks discreetly filled with meals designed to sustain them over the weekend. The program, coordinated by local volunteers and supported by the United Way, incurs costs of $9,000 weekly, totaling $36,000 monthly, according to the United Way organization.
Goals and Support for Local Students
The primary objective of the “Music with a Mission” series is to raise enough funds to cover the monthly expenses of the Backpack Program. Donna Hastings and Jonathan Geiger, community co-chairs for the event, have initiated a challenge grant of $2,500 to encourage additional contributions. All donations are processed through the Community Foundation of Grand Forks, East Grand Forks, and Region, and are tax-deductible. Contributions can also be made by check, with “Music with a Mission” noted on the memo line, sent to the foundation’s address at 620 DeMers Ave., Grand Forks, ND 58201.
The schools benefiting from this program include New Heights and South Point Elementary Schools and Central Middle School in East Grand Forks, along with various elementary schools in Grand Forks and surrounding areas. Additional programs such as SAIL (Social and Academic Intervention Learning), Grand Forks Head Start, and Mayville State University Head Start also participate in this initiative.
An Evening of Music and Community Engagement
The upcoming concert will showcase a diverse program, including pieces such as “Four Seasons for Cello and Piano” by Jonas Fisher and “Salut d’Amour” by Edward Elgar, among others. A special guest, Art Malloy, the vice president for student affairs at UND, will also perform a love song, adding a personal touch to the evening.
Both Sugiura and Barbu are distinguished musicians and educators who formed Duo Cantabile in 2012. They have performed at numerous prestigious institutions worldwide and are committed to enhancing the musical education landscape in the Upper Midwest through their recent establishment of the Medora Music Academy.
This event not only supports a vital cause but also instills values of philanthropy and community engagement among fraternity members. According to Geiger, being part of this initiative helps the fraternity brothers understand the significance of charitable giving and networking within a professional context. The Delta Upsilon fraternity has been a fixture on the UND campus for 65 years and continues to foster connections between its members and the university community.
