Charleston Gaillard Center Announces Fundraising Match with Tito's Handmade Vodka

FOR RELEASE WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2020 MEDIA CONTACT: Kellie Lawson Director of Marketing (843) 242-3105 klawson@gaillardcenter.org

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Charleston Gaillard Center Announces Fundraising Match with Tito’s Handmade Vodka September 30, 2020

September 16​, 2020 – Charleston, SC – The C ​ harleston Gaillard Center ​is thrilled to announce the Lowcountry Listens performance with C ​ harlton Singleton and Contemporary Flow ​will be a special fundraiser sponsored by ​Tito’s Handmade Vodka a ​ nd ​Republic National Distributing Company​. ​Tito’s will match dollar for dollar up to $5,000 for donations made through the Gaillard Center’s website or Facebook.​ Patrons are encouraged to donate to support the Gaillard Center’s mission to provide the Lowcountry with a world-class performance hall, elegant venue space, and vibrant educational opportunities. On September 30 at 6pm, viewers can tune in on gaillardcenter.org, Facebook, or YouTube to watch Grammy Award-winning jazz artist, Charlton Singleton, perform within the Martha and John M. Rivers Performance Hall. As always, this Lowcountry Listens virtual performance is free.

Although COVID-19 closed our performance hall doors in March, the Gaillard Center’s mission-related operations did not cease. We remain committed to being a world-class performance hall and providing vibrant educational experiences to our community. We have had an amazing opportunity to showcase local, emerging artists within Lowcountry Listens and work with community partners on sharing our free educational resources. We have done all of this while hosting zero in-person performances and receiving significantly less revenue than before COVID-19.

Support the arts in the Charleston community. Tune in September 30 for an incredible jazz performance and donate to the Charleston Gaillard Center here: bit.ly/LowcountryListensMatch

DOWNLOAD PHOTOS: b ​ it.ly/LowcountryListensSept30

ABOUT CHARLTON SINGLETON: A native of Awendaw, SC, Charlton Singleton began his musical studies at the age of three on the piano. He would then go on to study the organ, violin, cello, and the trumpet throughout elementary, middle and high school. In 1994, he received a Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance from South Carolina State University. Since that time, he has taught music at the elementary, middle, and high school levels, as well as being an adjunct faculty member at the College of Charleston. In 2008 he co-founded and became the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Charleston Jazz Orchestra; an 18 piece jazz ensemble of some of the finest professional musicians in the Southeast and the resident big band in Charleston, SC. Mr. Singleton is also the organist and choir director at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Charleston, SC. In November of 2016 he was named the inaugural Artist in Residence at the recently renovated Gaillard Center in downtown Charleston. He remained in this position until July 2019; at that point he was named Artist in Residence Emeritus. In this position he continues to lead the Summer Youth Jazz Orchestra Camp as well as lead the “Jazz Through the Ages” assembly, which attracts a capacity crowd of students at the Gaillard Center.

As a performer, Charlton leads his own ensembles that vary in size and style. He has performed in France, Great Britain, Scotland, Spain, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Norway, Canada, The Netherlands, as well as many great cities throughout the United States. He is a founding member of a new ensemble called Ranky Tanky. The group is a quintet that interprets the sounds of Gullah from the Southeast Coast of the United States. In 2017 Ranky Tanky reached the top of the Billboard, iTunes, and Amazon Contemporary Jazz charts with their self-titled debut recording. In 2019 they accomplished the same feat with the release of their sophomore effort, “Good Time”, which recently won the 2020 Grammy Award for “Best Regional Roots Music Album”.

In addition to performing, he is in demand as a speaker, clinician, composer, and arranger. He has also shared the stage with and/or worked with some of most talented entertainers in the world, including Bobby McFerrin, Jimmy Heath, Slide Hampton, Houston Person, Darius Rucker, Fred Wesley, and Cyrus Chestnut to name a few. Outside of music and entertainment, he and his wife, MaryJo, are the proud parents of Shalamar and D’Marcus, as well as their pets...Sassy, Jango, Mojo, Kota Bear, Pumpkin, and Ginger.

WEBSITE​ ​charltonsingleton.com INSTAGRAM​ ​@csmusician FACEBOOK​ ​@charltonpsingleton ABOUT LOVE, TITO’S T​he Love, Tito’s evolution started in Austin, Texas. Tito was new to the vodka business, still struggling to make ends meet while rewriting the Texas codebook to building the first legal distillery in the state of Texas. One day he got a phone call from a local nonprofit asking if he would donate a couple cases of vodka for a fundraising event. Tito agreed, and showed up with several cases and the thought that this would be a great opportunity for folks to taste his new vodka. “If you like it, tell 20 of your closest friends,” he said… and they did. They liked the vodka

and​ they told their friends - not just about the vodka, but also about how Tito would donate it to support charity events, just like he’d done for them. The phone started to ring more often, and Tito’s fell into the “charity event” business.

As the company grew, Tito empowered each and every member of the team, regardless of their role, to support the causes they were passionate about in their local communities. As Tito’s Handmade Vodka continued to gain momentum across the country, involvement in philanthropy grew in tandem. The more people who joined the Tito’s family, the more hearts and hands were out in the world spreading love and goodness, with Tito’s behind them all the way.

Every time a member of the Tito’s Team reached out to extend a hand, to make a difference, to say “Thank you for inviting us to help the cause,” they signed off with “Love, Tito’s.” This salutation became a mantra, which turned into a movement. Love, Tito’s is now a force, a group of individuals giving back to causes, efforts and organizations that move them. Through Love, Tito’s, the team has supported thousands of causes – lending a hand to rebuild communities after devastation, spreading joy to those who need a little more, and protecting the environment we all share.

The goal of Love, Tito’s is simple: to turn spirits into love and goodness. Make the world a better place—in whatever way moves you; find your passion, and get involved. With the help of our nonprofit friends and family, Love, Tito’s can continue to give back in more impactful ways, and keep spreading the love more and more.

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ABOUT THE CHARLESTON GAILLARD CENTER: The Charleston Gaillard Center is a 501c3 nonprofit performing arts organization in Charleston, South Carolina, committed to enriching lives through unforgettable experiences. Throughout the year, we provide exceptional programming and vibrant educational opportunities for the community.

Please consider a contribution as we continue to find innovative ways to connect, inspire and entertain. ​Donate to support the arts in your community. ​You can learn more about our educational resources and programming at gaillardcenter.org.

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