Dr. Haruhisa Handa, Chairman Of IFAC, Makes Transformational Gift To Sing For Hope

Sing for Hope announced today that Dr. Haruhisa Handa, Chairman of the International Foundation for Arts and Culture and Sing for Hope's Global Patron, has made a decade-long commitment to support SFH's programs in New York City as well as dynamic new creative initiatives around the globe. The announcement follows Dr. Handa's increasing commitment to the organization with a significant financial contribution.

Said Dr. Haruhisa Handa, "I first learned of Sing for Hope from my dear friend Renée Fleming, a founding board member of the organization who advocates with such passion for SFH's mission of art for all. I believe that music and the arts have the power to transform human hearts and minds, to draw us inward and upward to make the world around us a better place. Sing for Hope brings this transformational power to the disenfranchised of society. I am happy to support Sing for Hope as it continues to leverage the arts to illuminate and create a better, brighter, more sustainable future."

"IFAC has been a proud supporter of Sing for Hope since 2016," said Midori Miyazaki, International Executive Director at the International Foundation for Arts and Culture, "and it is our great pleasure to increase our support at this key moment in the organization's history. There has never been a more important time for us collectively, as global citizens, to bring hope and healing to those individuals and communities who are too often left behind. Sing for Hope does this each and every day in schools, hospitals, refugee camps, and public spaces worldwide, and IFAC is delighted to help ensure the future of this important work."

Said Monica Yunus and Camille Zamora, Co-Founders and Co-Executive Directors of Sing for Hope, "We could not be more thrilled to receive this transformational gift from the International Foundation for Arts and Culture and its Chairman, our Global Patron Dr. Haruhisa Handa. Through his multifaceted creative artistry and key philanthropic support of major humanitarian institutions around the globe, Dr. Handa embodies the Sing for Hope ideal of creating a better world through the arts. It is a joy to partner with Dr. Handa, IFAC Executive Director Midori Miyazaki, and the entire IFAC team to increase our impact in New York City, as well as nationally and internationally. We are deeply grateful to The International Foundation for Arts and Culture for its vision and generosity in helping to safeguard the future of Sing for Hope and the communities we serve."

In addition to supporting Sing for Hope's ongoing dynamic arts programming, Dr. Handa's philanthropy makes possible the creation of Sing for Hope's new global arts program, HandaHarmony, which launched with a special flagship Sing for Hope Piano as the centerpiece of the youth-arts-centered U.N. High Level Political Forum Side Event on July 16, 2019. Sing for Hope's new global arts program activates the arts as a driver of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Sing for Hope, UNICEF, Nord Anglia Education, and The Juilliard School co-hosted Tuesday's event at UNICEF House, which was attended by IFAC International Executive Director Midori Miyazaki, and featured the inspiring anthem "Dream Big, Speak Loud," by Jennifer Walsey performed by student choristers from around the world. The Sing for Hope Piano, created by Sing for Hope Artist Partners Sydney Foreman and Arelí Rocha, features artwork sourced by UNICEF from submissions by more than 3,600 children and youth worldwide. At the conclusion of the event, the special SFH Piano was placed at Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza, a.k.a. "The Gateway to United Nations," where it will be open to the public through August 2nd for anyone and everyone to play. After its time on the plaza, it will be placed in a permanent home in a local NYC public school as part of Sing for Hope's ongoing partnership with the New York City Department of Education.

About Sing for Hope:
Sing for Hope harnesses the power of the arts to create a better world. Through dynamic education, healthcare, and global initiatives, Sing for Hope activates creativity in schools, hospitals, refugee camps, and public spaces for millions of people worldwide. Founded in New York City in 2006, Sing for Hope partners with hundreds of community-based organizations, involves thousands of artists in creative service, and has placed 500+ artist-created Sing for Hope Pianos in public spaces for everyone to enjoy - a symbol and celebration of art for all. The Sing for Hope Pianos are made possible by the support of Fosun, 28 Liberty, Liquitex, The International Foundation for Arts and Culture, Global Patron Dr. Haruhisa Handa, The Sing for Hope Founders' Circle, including The Arnhold Foundation in loving memory of Sissy and Henry Arnhold, The Thea Petschek Iervolino Foundation, The Anna-Maria & Stephen Kellen Foundation, and Ann Ziff, and the generosity of donors like you.

About IFAC:
The International Foundation for Arts and Culture (IFAC) is a non-profit organization which was formed to engender social welfare through music and arts-related activity. Established in 1996, IFAC was officially recognized by the Government of Tokyo as a non-profit organization in 1999. The foundation has since enjoyed the backing of a great number of art enthusiasts who have pledged support for our objectives and kindly contributed to our activities in various ways. IFAC has grown from its base in Japan to establish IFAC-USA, IFAC-UK and IFAC-Australia. IFAC prizes its collaborative relationships with a broad network of organizations around the world, working together to deliver art and welfare related activities.