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Dennis Family Christmas Concert Celebrates 35 Years Of Song And Charity

Courtesy
The Dennis Family

The Dennis Family is gearing up for its 35th annual Christmas concert in Wichita. The nine siblings provide holiday cheer every year through song and support of a local charity.

At a recent rehearsal, the sisters and brothers are gathered around a piano singing "Hold Up the Light." It’s something The Dennis Family has been committed to for some time.

Lori Dennis Johnson says part of the concert's freewill offering will go to the Wichita Community Foundation's Share the Season Project, which gives to people who may not qualify for other charities.

"We know that sometimes it’s not a long-term need," Johnson says. "It could just be something that’s become a health issue or something that prevents a family from being able to enjoy the Christmas season the way we hope everybody would."

The Dennis Family is widely known for their music ministry, singing at special banquets and events all around the region including Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kansas. The siblings have also recorded two CDs. 

The family recently received a 2018 NAACP award in Wichita for their singing and community work.

The Dennis Family's 35th annual Christmas concert is on Sunday, Dec. 2, at 6 p.m. at Tabernacle Bible Church.

 

Carla Eckels is director of cultural diversity and the host of Soulsations. Follow her on Twitter @Eckels.To contact KMUW News or to send in a news tip, reach us at news@kmuw.org.

Carla Eckels is Director of Organizational Culture at KMUW. She produces and hosts the R&B and gospel show Soulsations and brings stories of race and culture to The Range with the monthly segment In the Mix. Carla was inducted into The Kansas African American Museum's Trailblazers Hall of Fame in 2020 for her work in broadcast/journalism.