Merced Symphony given $5,000 donation from Teichert Foundation

The Merced Symphony Association accepted one of its biggest donations of the year Friday from a Sacramento-based group that handed out $5,000.

The money came from the Teichert Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Sacramento-based Teichert Construction. The funds are to benefit the symphony’s spring concert, according to association President Judy Smith.

The nonprofit association operates entirely by volunteer work and through donations and fundraisers. She said the concerts can cost up to $30,000 each.

The spring concert will feature German composer Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana.” “It’s one of our more expensive concerts,” she said. “If we didn’t have some of the high donors, it would be really tough.”

The Teichert Foundation aims to donate dollars to the communities where it commonly does construction work, which includes most of the Central Valley and east Bay Area, according to Executive Director Fred Teichert.

“(We) realize that if you don’t have the arts, our quality of life is lower,” he said. “The Teichert family has always had a special place for the arts.”

The foundation is not a stranger to Merced. It has contributed to Playhouse Merced and UC Merced, as well as projects such as the G Street underpass.

The symphony not only puts on local shows, but organizes educational programs for children. Its next concert, called “Broadway Favorites,” is 7:30 p.m. Feb. 6 at the Merced Theatre, 301 W. Main St.

This story was originally published January 8, 2016 at 6:05 PM with the headline "Merced Symphony given $5,000 donation from Teichert Foundation."