PROTY Awards announced

The Pride of Indy Chorus has justifiable pride in member Dick Nyikos, the 1999 Public Relations Officer of The Year, announced at the annual meeting of PROBE in Kansas City. Dick's entry for the PROTY award indicates an almost mind-boggling amount of planning, promotion, and execution of PR effort for every chapter function. His chorus and its quartets maintained constant activity during the year. With internal PR, external PR, performance bookings, PBS broadcast, involvement with community organizations, Holiday Chorus, special membership guest night, millennium book, and convention items, his constant flow of PR effort was maintained in high quality and style.

Chapter President Duane Henry says, "It is difficult, if not impossible to express the importance of his dedication and leadership."

Jack W. Oonk was awarded the PROTY for a single event. In November 1998, the Holland, Michigan, Chapter purchased an abandoned downtown theater building to refurbish for use as a rehearsal hall and possible performance premise. Jack assumed the Mkt/PR duties for the chapter, planned and executed a program, "Preservation through Performance." He involved a wide variety of local music groups and performers, with a series of diverse shows raised $40,000 to preserve and maintain the theater. Results included extensive community participation and of course wide media coverage.

Coincidentally, the 1998 PROTY single event winner was also a member of the Holland Chapter.

Paul Smith, Arrowhead Chorus of Flint, Michigan, received Honorable Mention for his PROTY entry.