The Calhoun-Gordon Community Foundation, an affiliate member of the Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia, has awarded a grant in the amount of $3,000 to the Harris Arts Center for the Roland Hayes CD project.

Native son Roland Hayes was born in Gordon County in 1887 and was the first African-American classical singer to have an international career on the concert stage.

Hayes, the son of former slaves, was raised in the Curryville community until he was 11. When his father died, his mother moved the family to Chattanooga. Hayes later attended Fisk University in Nashville and toured with the Fisk Jubilee Singers. After graduating from Fisk, he toured the nation, performing at Carnegie Hall and with the Boston Symphony. In 1920, he performed in London and presented concerts across Europe. He later had a successful concert career in the United States.

He was named to the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 1991.

The Roland Hayes Museum, which is located in the Harris Arts Center, was founded in 1992 and is recognized by the Georgia Association of Museums & Galleries and is listed in its Regional Map & Travel Guide.

The Harris Arts Center receives many requests from visitors to purchase a recording of Roland Hayes’ music. The Community Foundation’s grant will be used to produce a compellation of Roland Hayes’s songs on a compact disc and to purchase archival housing for the center’s collection of recordings and memorabilia.

The Community Foundation was established in 1998 to support the charitable interests of families and institutions throughout Northwest Georgia. With goals that range from local civic and humanitarian programs to international aid and higher education, the Foundation has proven itself as a knowledgeable resource for those who want to make a difference.

The Calhoun-Gordon Community Foundation is chaired by David Lance. A $2 million dollar permanent endowment provides a perpetual and self-renewing source of income to fund grants to local nonprofits and service organizations.

Preserving Gordon County’s heritage is a priority and in 2007, a $10,000 grant was awarded to the friends of Resaca Battlefield to help fund an interpretive history center on that Civil War battlefield.

In an effort to maintain the charm of downtown Calhoun, $10,000 was also given to the Friends of the GEM to preserve this cultural landmark. In addition, tens of thousands of dollars have been awarded to local nonprofits and service organizations.