Springboro Community Choir to Perform National Anthem at Dragons Opening Night

Dayton, Ohio—The Springboro Community Choir has been selected as the winner of the Dayton Daily News/Dayton Dragons national anthem contest. The group of 35 singers, ages 16-60+, will sing the national anthem at beautiful Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District on Opening Night, April 5. The Dragons will host the Lansing Lugnuts at 7:05 p.m. as they open their 24th season in Dayton.

Judy Mansky, choir director, says the group was thrilled to be selected. “We are a new group, founded in 2019, and we are still trying to build, so to be selected is an unbelievable moment in our lives,” said Ms. Mansky. “We are truly a community group. We have married couples in the group…a grandmother and her granddaughter. We have a dad who had never sang but joined the choir to spend time with his daughter, who was also in the group.”

Ms. Mansky says the choir has performed at Springboro Community Theatre at the Holiday Jubilee as well as the Spring Spectacular. They recently performed at the Springboro business expo.

The national anthem performance by the Springboro Community Choir on Dragons Opening Night on April 5 will be carried live as part of the game broadcast on Dayton’s CW (Channel 26; Spectrum Cable channels 13 and 1013).

The Dayton Daily News has served as the sponsor for the national anthem audition contest for all 24 years of Dragons history.

“Our region is filled with so many gifted artists and once again we’re honored to support their talent through the National Anthem presented by the Dayton Daily News at each game,” said Suzanne Klopfenstein, publisher of the Dayton Daily News. “A trip to Day Air Ballpark is an experience that creates memories for people in our region and we are excited for another great season this year.”

All auditions in 2024 were virtual. A total of 295 performers submitted auditions in 2024. Submissions were reviewed by the Dragons panel of judges.

Dayton Dragons President Robert Murphy, says, “Each year the National Anthem Tryouts presented by Dayton Daily News brings out the best of the best in the Dayton region, and it helps to build momentum for the coming baseball season. The National Anthem is an essential part of every baseball game, and with a packed Day Air Ballpark, it’s an unbeatable experience for our fans, our players, and our community. We’re thrilled to have this year’s Grand Prize Winner kick off Opening Night and another great year of Dragons baseball.”