APPLETON, Wis.–At Fox Communities Credit Union’s “Bike to the Beat,” children from Big Brothers/Big Sisters of the Fox Valley Region joined Grammy nominated native son Cory Chisel and Mayor Tim Hanna in the chapel of the Refuge Foundation For The Arts to host a live-streamed collaborative songwriting session.
The goal of the gathering was to engage the children of the community as a whole to contribute to the creation of “Our Song,” a community anthem that aims to represent the diverse talents and values of the people of this city and community. The hope is that the song might become an enduring and unifying civic moment at municipal events including but not limited to parades, festivals, and ceremonies.
The participants both present and online were asked to submit statements of what Appleton means to them. ‘Tall trees', ‘riverwalk’, ‘place where I sleep’and ‘mom, dad, and family’ were just a few of the many thoughts offered. These suggestions will comprise the body and imagery of the song to be completed by Chisel.
The song will be debuted by Chisel, his collaborators from Big Brothers/Big Sisters as well as a diverse array of community members at Fox Communities Credit Union’s, “Bike to the Beat.”
A selection of the song’s lyrics will then be used to adorn a series of new welcome signs for the city. These signs— created by Appleton’s Urban Evolutions and designed by artists from The Refuge Foundation for the Arts— will greet both locals and visitors alike and extol the diverse talents and creative connections within the city of Appleton upon the arrival of all.
The new welcome signs are sponsored by the City of Appleton, The Refuge Foundation For The Arts and Fox Communities Credit Union. Both the signs as well as the song were revealed at Fox Communities Credit Union’s Bike to the Beat.