By Press Release Submitted to OnMilwaukee.com Published Jun 19, 2018 at 4:01 PM

The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and the MACC Fund are teaming up on Thursday, June 28, to raise awareness for childhood cancer and blood disorders at the orchestra’s free annual performance at Boerner Botanical Gardens. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. with an introduction by MACC Fund Co-Founder and President Jon McGlocklin.

Following this introduction, Lulu Samarco, a 6th grader at Bayside Middle School, who has benefitted from MACC Fund supported research will sing the Star Spangled Banner with the orchestra.

"The MACC Fund’s commitment to supporting the best research to help children with cancer over four decades has always been enhanced by increasing the awareness of the need for research funding. We are delighted to team up with the extraordinary people at the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra for this spectacular concert and to heighten awareness for children and families battling cancer," said McGlocklin

"We at the MSO are inspired by the mission of the MACC Fund and their dedication to supporting research and awareness for children battling cancer. We are honored to partner with them in continuing to raise awareness among our audiences and beyond," said Mark Niehaus, MSO President and Executive
Director.

MSO Associate Conductor Yaniv Dinur will lead the orchestra in a delightful outdoor concert which includes works by Sousa, Wagner, John Williams, and more. Please note: The concert will be cancelled in the event of inclement weather.

About the MACC Fund

Since the MACC Fund’s inception in 1976, it has contributed over $62 million to support childhood cancer and blood disorders research conducted in Wisconsin.

The MACC Fund supports research conducted at the Medical College of Wisconsin in the MACC Fund Research Center, the MACC Fund Center at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, in the UW Carbone Cancer Center’s MACC Fund Childhood Cancer Research Wing, and Marshfield Clinic. MACC Fund supported research has played a key role in the overall 5-year survival rate rising from 20% in 1976, to 80% today, however, the battle is far from over, and many still relapse and have "late effect" issues which requires additional research.

To learn more about the MACC Fund, please visit www.maccfund.org.

About the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra

The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra is among the finest orchestras in the nation and the largest cultural institution in Wisconsin. Since its inception in 1959, the MSO has found innovative ways to give music a home in the region, develop music appreciation and talent among area youth, and raise the national
reputation of Milwaukee.

The MSO’s 70 full-time professional musicians perform over 135 classics, pops, family, education, and community concerts each season in venues throughout the state. A pioneer among American orchestras, the MSO has performed world and American premieres of works by John Adams, Roberto Sierra, Phillip Glass, Geoffrey Gordon, Marc Neikrug, and Matthias Pintscher, as well as garnered national recognition as the first American orchestra to offer live recordings on iTunes.

Now in its 46th season, the orchestra’s nationally syndicated radio broadcast series, the longest consecutive-running series of any U.S. orchestra, is heard annually by more than two million listeners. The MSO's standard of excellence extends beyond the concert hall and into the community, reaching more than 40,000 children and their families through its Arts in Community Education (ACE) program, Youth and Teen concerts, and Family Series.

The author and Illustrator of the award winning book "My Dog Named Hope" will be on hand at this event to sign books – with all proceeds going to pediatric cancer research and services.