The first night of Parents Weekend ended with a “pop” as hundreds of balloons drifted down from the ceiling of Conte Forum to an eager audience at the seventeenth annual Pops on the Heights Scholarship Gala. Boston College hosted this annual concert featuring the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra in an event that raised approximately $2.1 million for need-based financial aid awards for students.

The proceeds of the Pops on the Heights concert provide the funds necessary to grant scholarships to Boston College students. Since the concert first began seventeen years ago, 623 scholarships have been granted to 292 students, according to Renee LeBlanc, the Senior Associate Director of Alumni Programs and the coordinator of the concert. “The $2.1 million is on par with the money raised in past years,” she said.

The concert provided a lively and entertaining evening for the attendees, who enjoyed not only the exuberance of the orchestra, but also Bernadette Peters’ performance. The renowned Broadway singer and actress performed numbers from her extensive Broadway career, including Gypsy and Into the Woods. The performance also featured Boston College’s own University Chorale.

The Pops on the Heights Concerts were originally the idea of Jim Cleary, a Boston College alumnus from the class of 1950 who, according to LeBlanc, had a very close relationship with both the University and the symphony. Eager to expand Boston College’s scholarship fund, he approached then-University President J. Donald Monan, S.J. with his idea for the Pops Scholarship Gala. The Pops on the Heights Concerts began in 1993.

Cleary now holds a position as Trustee Associate, and he is the Chairperson of the concert. Renee LeBlanc credits the success of the scholarship galas in part to Cleary’s hard work and dedication. “Our chairman is a passionate supporter of BC. . . . He is one of our hardest-working alumni volunteers,” she said.

Another reason for the success of the Pops on the Heights Scholarship Gala, says LeBlanc, is its presentation during Parents Weekend, when the excitement of the new school year and the visitors on campus bring many people to the concert. The Pops on the Heights Concert is a “feel good event for parents, alumni, family members, and friends of Boston College,” she said. LeBlanc also considers it “unique,” as it never fails to entertain audiences and is one of few events at Boston College that provides such significant contributions for the scholarship fund.

Approximately 8,400 people attended the Pops on the Heights Scholarship Gala this year.Ticket prices ranged from $50 to $100, and included a gourmet picnic dinner. A number of corporate sponsorships of $10,000, $25,000, and $50,000 afforded guests a private cocktail reception and preferred seating. These donations provide the foundation for the scholarship money raised through the galas.

Thanks to the “driving force of Jim Cleary” and the generosity of alumni, parents and friends of Boston College, the Pops on the Heights Scholarship Gala once again provided the money necessary for numerous students to receive an education at Boston College.

The Pops on the Heights Scholarship Gala is at the forefront of efforts to provide need based financial aid to students hoping to attend Boston College. Together with the private donations of Boston College’s benefactors, the financial burden of attending college is reduced for hundreds of students each year.

The conductor of the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra is Keith Lockhart, who has led the orchestra since 1995. The Boston Pops have been entertaining audiences since the late nineteenth century. Past guest performers at the Pops on the Heights Galas have included Brian Stokes Mitchell, Linda Eder, and John Williams, who was present for the fifteenth anniversary of the concerts.

LeBlanc says that she is now eagerly looking forward to the continuation of the Pops on the Heights Scholarship Gala in the future, as each concert is an event which brings together the Boston College community for a worthwhile cause.

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