Letter to Editor | On Orcas, music advocacy rocks

||| FROM ANNETTE VAN DONGEN for MUSIC ADVOCACY GROUP |||

Thank you for your support during the 2022 Orcas Island Community Foundation (OICF) GiveOrcas Holiday campaign.  Your generosity has made it possible for the Music Advocacy Group (MAG) to purchase a much-needed timpani set for the Orcas Island School District’s Music Department.  
 
While MAG has been able to augment the public school’s music budget every year through fundraising and has helped to double the budget in recent years, these contributions are directed to general school music needs such as equipment, software, transport and music
scores. When funding is needed for a big, long-term investment such as a musical instrument, MAG seeks donor support through the OICF GiveOrcas Holiday grant campaign.
 
Thank you to Jeff Horton and Martin Lund for backing MAG’s grant request with professional credibility, to the student musicians for articulating their need eloquently in our fundraising efforts, and to both music teachers at the public school, Pamela Wright and Darren Dix, for their dedication and tireless efforts in nurturing a mighty group of student musicians. Last but not least, thank you to the OICF for leading a stellar GiveOrcas campaign that brought our community together in the spirit of giving.
 
We are so grateful to be part of this generous community! It is truly amazing to witness our youth getting the school music support they need. We cannot wait to hear them perform with a new, fully functional timpani in the very near future!
 
Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!