The Plymouth Civic League (PCL) bestowed the inaugural Music in Plymouth Award to two recipients July 3: Jayne and Al Hilde, Jr., and Carlson and the Carlson Family Foundation.
The award honors an individual, group or company that has made significant contributions to the ongoing success of Music in Plymouth (MIP) within one or more of the following areas of excellence: vision and leadership, service and volunteerism, or financial support. A donation was made to the MIP Endowment Fund in honor of both recipients and their names have been placed on the MIPEF monument in the Hilde Performance Center amphitheater.
Jayne and Al Hilde, Jr.
In 1972, former mayor of Plymouth and local businessman Al Hilde, Jr. had the foresight to see the City of Plymouth was lacking in identity. He approached Curtis A. Carlson, businessman and developer of the Minneapolis Industrial Park in Plymouth, to help him plan a free community event with high quality musical entertainment for the citizens of Plymouth.
Hilde formed a volunteer committee to bring the Minnesota Orchestra to Plymouth. In three years, that committee organized officially into a 501(c)3, the PCL, which 40 years later is still bringing MIP to the community.
In addition, the Hildes gifted the PCL $1 million to build a state-of-the-art band shell for MIP and other community events. The Hilde Performance Center was dedicated and given to the city on the 30th anniversary of MIP in 2002. On the 35th anniversary of the event, the Hildes seeded the establishment of the MIP Endowment Fund with a gift of $180,000.
Carlson and the Carlson Family Foundation
Curt Carlson passed the torch of community service to his company, Carlson, to continue to serve Plymouth by providing leadership as directors on the Plymouth Civic League Board of Directors continuously for 40 years; some of these individuals have served as officers or chairs of the MIP event. In addition, Carlson has supported the PCL with financial contributions continuously since 1972, and in 2002, the Carlson Family Foundation was the premier sponsor of MIP with a donation of $30,000.
Information courtesy of Mele Willis.
