Mary Rowley circa 2006.

The DeKalb County Community Foundation is pleased to announce the establishment of the DeKalb Festival Chorus Endowment Fund. Created by Amanda Durik and David Castro, the Fund provides enduring financial support for the DeKalb Festival Chorus while honoring the memory of Amanda’s parents, Mary Rowley and George Durik. (Pictured above: Members of the DeKalb Festival Chorus celebrate the organization’s 50th anniversary in fall 2024.)

“Mary was a hummer, and George was a whistler,” shared Amanda Durik. “Neither had formal training or even much experience outside of singing in church, but they regularly made music around the house. The melodies they carried through ordinary moments brought joy, comfort, and connection.”

Community choruses provide opportunities for people who love music to gather, develop their talents, and share in the experience of creating something meaningful together. While there was no community chorus in the area of Kentucky where Mary and George raised their family, Amanda and David found that opportunity in DeKalb through the DeKalb Festival Chorus.

George Durik circa 2005.

Founded in the mid-1970s, the DeKalb Festival Chorus brings community members together to experience and share the power of choral music. The Fund honors that legacy while helping support the organization’s future.

“The DeKalb Festival Chorus has created a welcoming space for people to share their love of music and community,” Durik continued. “We hope this Fund helps sustain that opportunity well into the future.”

The DeKalb Festival Chorus Endowment Fund is an endowed Designated Fund that will provide long-term financial support for the Chorus and its mission.

“We are honored to partner with Amanda and David in connecting their generosity with an organization they care deeply about,” said Community Foundation Executive Director Dan Templin. “Funds like the DeKalb Festival Chorus Endowment Fund help provide long-term support for organizations whose funding can often be unpredictable.”

Donations to any Fund at the Community Foundation, including the DeKalb Festival Chorus Endowment Fund, can be made online or mailed to the DeKalb County Community Foundation, 475 DeKalb Avenue, Sycamore, IL 60178.

For more information, or to learn how to establish a charitable Fund in memory of a loved one, visit dekalbccf.org/how-to-start-a-fund or contact Dan Templin at 815-748-5383 or dan@dekalbccf.org.