New Iberia Senior High School’s Honor Choir USA members are busy these days as they lend their talent and earn donations towards their goal of singing at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.

Michele Broussard, the Honor Choir USA treasurer, said the group’s fundraising effort has reached $17,000, only $4,000 short of their $21,000 goal to make the Hawaii trip.

“They are working very hard. They are singing every weekend at events,” Broussard said. 

The choir’s most recent performance was at this past weekend’s Books Along the Teche Literary Festival when they performed at Symphony Sunday in the Park and also sold jambalaya and sweets. 

“We raised $200 on the sweets alone and all those items were donated,” Broussard said. 

Along with learning the lesson of hard work and fundraising, the group is also expanding its sense of community and service, the Honor Choir treasurer said.

“It’s an honor to do things like sing for the Cancer Society and paint faces at Chez Hope,”  Broussard said.

Other community events the choir has performed recently at the Dragon Boat Races, local bass fishing tournaments and a meet and greet for Bassmaster Classic qualifer Caleb Sumrall of New Iberia, the Rotary Club, Teche Ridge Farmers Market, and Iberia Parish Council and City Council meetings.

The next scheduled fundraiser for the group will be a Karaoke night at the VFW building, 1907 Jefferson Terrace, on Saturday. There will be a cover charge of $5 for children, $7 for students and $10 for adults. 

Along with hearing the choir, the event features a male beauty pageant and a concession stand with everything from jambalaya to pizza and popcorn.