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Shalom Center Annual Gala

Whether she's talking about music, her latest insights into exercise, or community organizations, soprano and IU professor Sylvia McNair simply bubbles over with infectious enthusiasm. She's currently spreading that enthusiasm about the upcoming benefit for Bloomington's Shalom Community Center.

The Organization

"The Center itself is a wonderful place," McNair says. "The number of people that it helps directly is amazing: Four hundred people use it as their only mailing address. In addition to delivering meals and social services directly, it [acts as] a switchboard connecting people to other agencies that also support people experiencing homelessness and poverty."

McNair will be performing a set of songs at the upcoming gala to benefit Shalom Community Center, but she's quick to skip over that to talk about the other performers. "In addition to my singing, we'll have the terrific IU group Straight No Chaser, and for dancing there will be jazz from a Bloomington North combo and a group led by IU's Tom Walsh."

Although Sylvia McNair is a trained vocalist with plenty of breath support, she does get a bit breathless when she goes on to talk about the silent art auction. "It's a group of really fine Bloomington based artists. I do have some of their pieces they're donating their work, their art, in support of the mission of the center."

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