Dear Friends,

The 2008 Sally Ordway Irving Awards were presented on March 30, 2009 at the Ordway's McKnight Theatre. Since 1992, these awards have honored individuals and institutions that strengthen and enrich our entire community with their commitment to the arts and arts education. The awardees' talents and determination help make Minnesota's quality of life excellent and its culture unique and rich.

The Sally Award is based on the "First Trust Award" presented in 1986 to Sally Ordway Irvine, whose initiative, vision, and commitment inspired the creation of Ordway Center for the Performing Arts.

To honor Sally's commitment to all of the arts, the Sally Awards are presented annually to acknowledge achievement and contribution in four areas: Vision, Initiative, Education, and Commitment. 

St. Francis Music Center was awarded the Sally Award for Excellence in Arts Education.  The Sally Awards are rarely given to organizations outside of the metro area so this was an important honor for the Music Center, the faculty, staff, students, and families and for the Little Falls community.  It is great to receive an award, but we see every day in the faces of our students and their families the role that the Music Center and music in general plays in all our lives.  Everyone is welcome to become a part of the "music family" here and see how music can change your life.

In the introduction of the Music Center at the Sally Awards, Celo V'ec wrote these words that sum up who we are:

"There is a poster in the hall here at school. It's a quote from Gandhi. He says: ‘Be the change you wish to see in the world.'  So, we don't just want to be a music center. We want to change the world. We want to be an example of the power of right action and community to make a better world. This is our vision, and hopefully our contribution to the future."