Let me begin with a heartfelt "Thank You" to everyone who participated in this drive. Your generosity has raised almost $1500 in cash and gear for my kids at New Hope Academy!

We were successful in buying many items that we needed for immediate use, and have a budget surplus to add to our Mac project for next year. I'll post a full list and pictures as soon as our production of Annie is done. ( May 4th & 5th ) I'm just too involved with the show to do anything else during the next two weeks.
We're building sets, selling program ads, printing programs, renting wireless mics, rehearsing lighting cues, running the pit, REwriting the book to fit the players, transposing the charts to help the singers ... Aghhhh .... it's so much work - but I LOVE IT. I feel like I'm back in High School. Well,I AM, sortof ........ but now I get to wear a cool ID tag-thingee with a key on my neck. Spiffy, huh?

Tonight's the prom, and teachers go for free, so I'm taking my 14 yr old daughter to her first dance/formal. I can't wait to see all the kids dressed up. They wear such horrible clothes to school. I was spoiled by a Catholic education, and lemme tell ya - UNIFORMS are a GREAT thing ! It relieves the social pressure to "dress to impress", and insures that the girls are not showing too much of anyting "personal" in their choices. And I'm sick of seeing the boys underwear show because they can't hold their pants up ! ( yikes, I sound like an OLD man ! )

So, to wrap up this WONDERFULLY successful drive ....... Let me say THANK YOU from all the students and staff at NHA, and I promise to post a list of gear, the total number raised and pictures of the music room VERY soon. I had the kids start writing thank you notes as well, so they will be mailed when all this is done too !

Thank, you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you !!!!!!

[This message has been edited by Uncle Dave (edited 04-20-2007).]

I also want to thank all you great folks for making this project a success.

The benefits to the music program at NHA are obvious. What's not so obvious is what this did for me in the form of a sense of community and cooperation here and a personal appreciation of your "stepping up to the plate" to help.

You can bet there's a chance that we have given a start to a budding Herbie Hancock... George Benson...Ella or the like. Sometimes all it takes is a great teacher like Dave and
a little "push" in the right direction.

I consider all here my friends, and this is the kind of thing friends do....TOGETHER!

In appreciation,


Russ

Thanks to you Uncle Dave and also to Russ for bringing this cause to us. It really is a worthwhile one. Even if it simply helps to create a love of music in a kid growing then we have all achieved something very important. If it achieves even more then that is a bonus.

Sigh ... this has been a BLAST.
Here's apartial list of what you guys bought for my kids so far 9 I'm not done shopping yet ! )

Updated Roland digital drum gear
M-Audio 88 key keyboard controller
Casio PX555 digital grand piano w/stand and pedal
1) new trumpet with C/Bb slide valves !
1) used king trumpet
1) used Buesher Alto sax w/ new mouthpiece
1) Leblanc clarinet w/ new mouthpiece
1) French Horn ( not sure of brand )
assorted rack shelves, boxes, mic cables, drum sticks, benches .......

we're SO grateful to you all, and I'll post the final list when I finish spending the money ! This was an awesome drive!