For chorus Director Andy Borghesani and parents Robin Cirocco, Barb Emick and Shelly Pringle, planning and organizing the Whitehall High School choir's trip to Washington, D.C. is very exciting.

That's because this is the first major competition trip for this school.

Members of the chorus will compete in a vocal performance against other school districts May 1-4 at the Heritage Festival Washington.

Borghesani hopes to make a competition trip an annual event.

"The choir has been a pretty well established group, but it hasn't been big number wise," said Borghesani, now in his second year as choral director.

This year, the number of students in the chorus rose from 45 to 75, with 47 students signed up to go to Washington D.C.

Borghesani is thankful for parents' support, especially Cirocco, Emick and Pringle, who volunteered to help plan and coordinate the trip.

"[For a trip], I think you also need a good group of parents that are willing," he said.

During the competition, students will perform three songs – Keith Hampton's "True Light," William Dawkins' "Soon Ah Will Be Done" and "Bogoroditse Devo" by Sergi Rachmaninoff

Judges will grade the choir in various categories, such as difficulty of the piece, professionalism and how well they sing.

Making the trip a reality was no easy task for Borghesani. First, he had to get approval from the school district, which involved writing a proposal to the school board. He had to prove that all expenses would be paid for by the students themselves and that the district would not incur any costs.

The four-day trip to the nation's capitol comes with a price tag of $675. In order to make it affordable, students have been fundraising.

Who doesn't love beef jerky and chocolate, especially teenagers?

"@ 8 in the morning … that's their breakfast," laughed Borghesani, saying other students have especially enjoyed the food items the chorus members have sold.

Students have also sold flowers and hoagies as fundraisers.

A spaghetti dinner is scheduled for 4-7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, at Faith Lutheran Church, Whitehall. Students will serve spaghetti with meat or marinara sauce, salad, bread, dessert – and music.

"Students will be singing some songs that will be sung at the holiday concert in December," said Borghesani. "Some students will sing, but not throughout the dinner, just every now and then."

Another fundraiser is a breakfast scheduled for 8-10 a.m. Feb. 22, 2014, at Applebee's on Cedar Crest Boulevard in Allentown.

Basket bingo is scheduled for March 16, 2014 at the American Club of Coplay. Doors open at noon with bingo beginning at 1 p.m. Although they welcome walk-ins, tickets can be prepurchased by contacting Shelly Pringle at 610-261-1474.

"It takes a village to grow a good kid," said Emick, adding many schools today offer little support or funding for the arts.

"A school is a community," added Borghesani.