ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will hold an appreciation ceremony for more than 180 Atlanta-area music teachers Friday evening.

The teachers will be recognized at 7 p.m. by ASO president Stanley Romanstein. Afterward, the instructors will attend the evening's concert featuring the music of Rimsky-Korsakov, Rachmaninov and Mussorgsky.

ASO cellist Joel Dallow will also receive a special award from Romanstein for his arts education advocacy work throughout Georgia.

Both the 8 p.m. concert and the preceding reception will take place at the Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree Street NE, Midtown.

Adopt a Golden Atlanta (AGA) is initiating a Seniors for Seniors program, providing a way for seniors age 65 and older to adopt senior golden retrievers (10 years and older) by waiving the adoption fee or facilitating a permanent foster home arrangement.

In the last few years, Adopt a Golden Atlanta, the largest golden retriever rescue in the Southeast and fourth largest in the US, has seen an increase in the number of older dogs coming into the program – either due to passing of their owner or because of economic reasons.  “We’ve seen a four-fold increase in the number of seniors we’ve taken in,” reports Lauren Genkinger, AGA’s president and founder.  “So we’re announcing this program that is a win-win for both seniors involved – the human and the golden retriever,” she continues.

For many breeds, such as golden retrievers, the average life span has been 10 to 12 years, but with the current a