All the News on Music4Life™

Details

March 06, 2025

Total Instruments Delivered

By the end of February 2025, Music4Life has delivered this fiscal year 104 full-size and ready-to-play musical instruments, plus 1,100 recorders intended for fourth graders, all valued at $49,465, to our 15 participating public school districts. Repair shops continued to suffer backlogs due mainly to the lack of qualified repair technicians. All instrument values are after repairs have been completed and are estimated by our independent third-party vendor-experts.

Intended for use by the students of income-qualified families, each instrument is a “loaner” that must be returned when the student leaves the school district (due to graduation, family moves to another school district, etc.) so another student of a family in-need can benefit from its use.

Cohn Joins Governing Board

New to the Music4Life Governing Board is Dr. Gary Cohn, 2017 Washington State Superintendent of the Year as Superintendent of the Everett School District. Gary is a twice-over advocate of Music4Life, having started our efforts for Everett P.S. and, after retirement, introducing us to the Lake Washington School District as President of the Kirkland Rotary Club. He’s already had a substantial impact on us by introducing us to several superintendents and taking the lead on a review of our five-year plan.

Monroe Becomes Our 15th Chapter

We’re in-process of announcing our 15th chapter for the Monroe School District. Superintendent Shawn Woodward has endorsed Music4Life’s work which has provided financial support. He attended our presentation to the Monroe Kiwanis Club, which has already provided start-up financial support for both the new Monroe and Sultan programs. The Monroe Chapter team is being developed and welcomes anyone who shares our values of “kids,” “instrumental music” or “education.” A list of all participating school district programs appears on our website.

Piano Tuning Program Continues

Our new program to tune pianos in our participating public school districts continues under that able leadership of Music4Life Governing Board member Dean Petrich. Our goal is to tune as many as 200 pianos this year among the school districts telling us last spring of their need. (One music teacher told us some of these pianos haven’t been tuned in years!) And to do it annually thereafter. Many thanks to Dean for helping us “invent this wheel.”

City of Auburn Provides Financial Support

The City of Auburn’s Arts Department is an example of a public entity that provides financial support for our work. Its funds are limited, of course, to benefit the students attending the Auburn School District. Auburn has a long history of supporting youth music programs, dating back to funding to send the Auburn Black Watch Drum & Bugle Corps to the 1977 inauguration of President Jimmy Carter. Many thanks to Auburn!

Why We Use TWO Metrics to Measure Success

Music4Life rewards participating Chapters for their relative financial success. This is important because funding is needed to pay our instrument vendors so they can pay their employees. Fairness among Chapters is our goal. To help achieve that fairness we use two metrics:

1. The number of instruments delivered; and
2. The “fair market value” of those instruments.

For instance, a piccolo and a piano each count as one musical instrument, but their worth is vastly different. The main purpose of this policy is to reward each Chapter team for their success in raising funds so we can pay vendors for their repairs. Some would call this policy “fairness.”

Gifts In Honor of…

The following donations either to Music4Life or to one of our 15 Chapters have been deposited:

1. $14,627 by the Des Moines / Normandy Park Rotary Club
2. $5,000 by the Highline Schools Foundation
3. $5,000 by the Raynier Institute & Foundation
4. $2,000 by the Eastside Music Festival Foundation
5. $2,000 by the City of Auburn
6. $1,000 by the Everett-Port Gardner Rotary Club
7. $1,000 by the Kirkland Rotary Club

Looking for Governing Board Members

Music4Life seeks volunteer Governing Board members. Those who share our values of “kids,” “instrumental music” or “education" are welcome to apply. We particularly seek those with marketing, development (fund raising) or finance expertise. Also welcome are those who are interested in service on one of our 14 local Chapter teams. If one of these describes you, just contact us at David@Music4Life.org.

Details

January 21, 2025

SEATTLE, Washington Music4Life™ is adding its 14th chapter by serving the students of families in-need who attend the Sultan School District. Students receive ready-to-play musical instruments at no charge to the school district. Another chapter is in-process of organizing and will become the 15th.

The Seattle-based non-profit acquires instruments from adults who no longer need them and decide that their highest and best use is to put them back into play. The Music4Life Donor Form must accompany the instrument. Music4Life started in 2007 by providing ready-to-play musical instruments to Seattle Public Schools. Since then, chapters have been added for Highline, Shoreline, Edmonds, Everett, Northshore, Bremerton, Auburn, Kent, Marysville, Riverview, Lake Washington and now Sultan (officially the Sky Valley Chapter) public school districts.

Sultan Superintendent Dan Chaplik says “Music4Life is a wonderful gift in our schools, especially those with larger numbers of students who may not be able to afford a musical instrument. The program provides yet another support for students and contributes to reducing barriers to accessing music programs that serve students in school and for the rest of their lives.”

Debbie Copple, Executive Director of the Sky Valley Chamber of Commerce, initiated the new chapter. Cheryl Ricevuto serves as the chapter’s founding president and notes that “It’s important to the education of all students who want to participate in the band programs in our schools that they can do so. Parents and community members agree! Our Sky Valley Music4Life Chapter provides a way for supporters to get instruments they no longer use into the hands of students who will find joy in being in band.”

Research shows that students who participate in school-based instrumental music activities do better in math, science, history, literature, international languages, reading and writing, even in computer science, in addition to what it teaches in terms of teamwork and self-discipline. “Not all children want to participate in instrumental music activities, of course,” says Co-Founder/CEO David Endicott. “But for those who do and whose families cannot afford a musical instrument, they are effectively barred from getting the full basic education guaranteed by the Washington Constitution. And the sad fact is that, even in today’s post-pandemic economy, many families cannot even afford to rent a musical instrument. So Music4Life is just as much an education program as it is an instrumental music program.”

Details

October 29, 2024

Total Instruments Delivered

Music4Life™ delivered 175 full-size and ready-to-play musical instruments, plus 1,290 recorders for our program with the Seattle Symphony, all valued at $128,308 to its 14 participating public school districts during 2023-24. All instrument values are after repairs have been completed and are estimated by our independent third-party vendor-experts.

Intended for use by the students of income-qualified families, each instrument is a “loaner” that must be returned when the student leaves the school district (due to graduation, family moves to another school district, etc.) so another student of a family in-need can benefit from its use.

2024 “Blues ‘n Brews Festival” in Des Moines

The 15th Annual Poverty Bay "Blues ‘n Brews Festival" netted $15,000 for the Highline Music4Life Chapter. Seven hundred blues fans braved the unseasonable rainy weather on August 24th to support the cause. Thanks to the Rotary Club of Des Moines and Normandy Park" for making Music4Life the main beneficiary of this event.

Chapters Now Serving Students in 14 School Districts

As noted previously, Music4Life is on-the-move. Students attending public schools in Lake Washington, Issaquah and Sultan have been added since January 1, 2024. We are talking with community leaders in several other communities, as well. Watch this space for developments!

New Outreach Effort to I.D. Students

No matter how wealthy the average resident of any public school district may be, we know there always are families in-need with students wanting (but unable) to play a musical instrument. Therefore, Music4Life is launching a new effort to assertively reach out to these families. We are placing unpaid “ads” in the printed programs in school band and orchestra concerts. They may also be used online. Their message is simple: All a parent or care-giver needs to do is contact their local music teacher to establish income qualification, a very private and confidential conversation. Once we’re notified of the student’s interest, we’ll do our best to get them a ready-to-play instrument as quickly as possible. No Charge!

Music4Life Is A Community Service Program

Music4Life has been serving students in the Puget Sound area since 2007. We are financially supported by many local Rotary clubs, such as the Rotary Club of Kent (recent financial donation of $1,500) and the Rotary Club of Issaquah ($2,000). The key word in that last sentence is “supported.” Rotary clubs support Music4Life but don’t own it. Many other organizations and individuals support us, as well, and all are welcome. Kiwanis; Lions; Soroptimists; Chambers of Commerce; and many others. Not to be forgotten is the donation of $2,500 by the Everett Cultural Arts Commission. Even though we’ve provided thousands of musical instruments since being created, we know that we’re still just scratching the surface of the real need that’s out there. Join us, won’t you?!

Piano Tuning Is In-Process

Thanks to a major unrestricted donation, Music4Life has been able to start a new piano effort that’s been a gleam in our eyes for years! There’s no more fundamental instrument to any music program, including choral music, than the piano. It’s also the most difficult to deal with, largely because of its size. Several years ago Beth Wojick, a member of our Advisory Board, suggested we try to get pianos tuned. The problem is that piano tuning should be done at least once a year, preferably as students start the new school term. With this donation, we’re able to take Step One in this process. Last spring we asked each of our 14 Music4Life programs whether their pianos need tuning. Several responded that their school district budgets do not cover piano tuning. So Music4Life Governing Board Member Dean Petrich is organizing the tuning of nearly 200 Pianos, upright and grand. This is a prodigious task and we’re all deeply appreciative to Dean for getting it organized.

Our Competition

A question we get from time to time is, “who’s your competition?” We don’t know of any directly set-up to do what Music4Life does. What we DO know is that a person having a musical instrument to pass to others often just drops if off at a nearby school. Good intentions, but this leaves the school district to decide whether the instrument can be repaired (as almost all do) and then pays for that work to be done. Music4Life organizes the evaluation and repair process, pays vendors for the work they do and then gets the ready-to-play musical instruments to the school district that expresses a need for them.

Looking for Governing Board Members

Music4Life seeks volunteer Governing Board members. Those who share our values of “kids,” “instrumental music” or “education" are welcome to apply. We particularly seek those with marketing, development (fund raising) or finance expertise. Also welcome are those who are interested in service on one of our 14 local Chapter teams. If one of these describes you, just contact us at David@Music4Life.org.

Details

July 23, 2024

Total Instruments Delivered

Music4Life™ has delivered 163 full-size and ready-to-play musical instruments, plus 1,290 recorders for our program with the Seattle Symphony, all valued at $118,758 to its 14 participating public school districts since Sept. 1, 2023. All instrument values are after repairs have been completed and are estimated by our independent third-party vendor/experts.

Intended for use by the students of income-qualified families, each instrument is a “loaner” that must be returned when the student leaves the school district (due to graduation, family moves to another school district, etc.) so another student of a family in-need can benefit from its use.

2024 “Blues ‘n Brews Festival” in Des Moines

The annual Poverty Bay "Blues ‘n Brews Festival" is scheduled for August 24th at the Des Moines Beach Park. A production of the Des Moines/Normandy Park Rotary Club, Blues ‘n Brews again features four prominent blues bands to entertain you all day starting at 11:00 a.m. Also featured will be local craft brews, cider, wine and cocktails. Tickets starting at $45 each are available online right now. 100 percent of net proceeds support the causes powered by Des Moines/Normandy Park Rotary, including the Highline Music4Life program. This event is a REAL HOOT, so don’t miss it!

New Chapters Serve the Issaquah & Sultan School Districts

Students attending public schools in Issaquah and Sultan become our 13th and 14th chapters of Music4Life. Ready-to-play musical instruments are already being delivered to Issaquah Public Schools for Issaquah Music4Life. Music4Life Treasurer Andrew Face does double duty as Founding President of the Issaquah Chapter. The Founding President of the new Sultan-area chapter is Cheryl Ricevuto. ”Sky Valley Music4Life” is the official chapter name for Sultan area students and is in the early stages of rollout.

Music4Life Is A Community Service Program

Music4Life has been serving students in the Puget Sound area since 2007. We are financially supported by many local Rotary clubs, such as the Rotary Club of Kent (recent financial donation of $1,500) and the Rotary Club of Issaquah ($2,000). The key word in that last sentence is “supported.” Rotary clubs support Music4Life but don’t own it. Many other organizations and individuals support us, as well, and all are welcome. Kiwanis; Lions; Soroptimists; Chambers of Commerce; and many others. Not to be forgotten is the donation of $2,500 by the Everett Cultural Arts Commission. Even though we’ve provided thousands of musical instruments since being created, we know that we’re still just scratching the real need that’s out there. Join us, won’t you?!

Anonymous Financial Donations Received

Two large financial donations have been received recently. Both are anonymous. One family foundation recently sent us a check for $5,000. A week later came a second check for $10,000. At the donor’s request, both are dedicated to our Chapters in Snohomish County. Another “unrestricted” check for $26,000 came from a family foundation saying they will make it annually. We are considering using these funds to tune pianos throughout our entire 14 Chapter system. Pianos, BTW, that haven’t been tuned in years! The foundation instrument for every music program, pianos are integral to concerts, solo or ensemble accompaniment and even for chorales.

Every Instrument Comes in A Case

Students need to take their musical instruments home with them for extra practice. That means transport on a bus, in a car or just walking. Protected from the elements. Therefore, every instrument also comes in a serviceable case. Sometimes an instrument is donated to us without a case. So we either get one from our stock of available instrument cases or we buy one for it.

Looking for Governing Board Members

Music4Life seeks volunteer Governing Board members. Those who share our values of “kids,” “instrumental music” or “education" are welcome to apply. We particularly seek those with marketing, development (fund raising) or finance expertise. Also welcome are those who are interested in service on one of our 14 local Chapter teams. If one of these describes you, just contact us at David@Music4Life.org.

Details

April 30, 2024

Total Instruments Delivered

Music4Life™ has delivered 133 full-size and ready-to-play musical instruments, plus 1,290 recorders for our program with the Seattle Symphony, all valued at $92,172, to its 12 participating public school districts since Sept. 1, 2023. All instrument values are after repairs have been completed and are estimated by our independent third-party vendor-experts.

Intended for use by the students of income-qualified families, each instrument is a “loaner” that must be returned when the student leaves the school district (due to graduation, family moves to another school district, etc.) so another student of a family in-need can benefit from its use.

Largest Single Grant Ever

An anonymous donor has provided the single largest financial contribution ever received by Music4Life: $26,000. This is intended as a matching grant. Further, the donor has pledged that this will be an annual donation and that they will consider including Music4Life in their will. Our Rule No. 1 has always been “to honor the donor’s wishes” (whether of a musical instrument or a financial donation), so details about how the grant will be used are being worked out with the donor. Participating public school districts should expect a sizeable impact starting this new fiscal year, 2024-25, if not sooner.

New Chapter Serves the Lake Washington School District

Our newest and 12th Chapter is officially serving the students of the Lake Washington School District. Kudos go to Dr. Gary Cohn, President of Kirkland Rotary and former State Superintendent of the Year (2017, Everett Public Schools). Already endorsed by Superintendent Dr. Jon Holmen, the Founding President of the Lake Washington Chapter is Prof. Jocelyn Reiter Ellison, Professor Emerita from the University of Arizona where she was Director of Graduate Studies in Music. Jocelyn welcomes all who care about “kids,” “instrumental music” or “education” to join the Chapter team. Soon expected to be announced is our 13th Chapter serving the students of Issaquah P.S.

Credit Where Credit Is Due

Foster Garvey PC and attorney Claire Hawkins have provided invaluable pro bono legal assistance to Music4Life. Since Music4Life's inception in 2007, Claire and her team have been instrumental in key initiatives for Music4Life, including the challenging process of establishing non-profit status. Our collaborative partnership together reflects Foster Garvey’s strong commitment to supporting community programs nationwide and engaging in pro bono efforts across various causes to promote educational and artistic development. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Claire and the entire team at Foster Garvey for their ongoing support and immense dedication to making a positive impact with their exceptional legal acumen.

Linked Up Program with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra

As many as 1,290 Highline Schools students, mostly fourth graders, received recorders (the flute-like instrument that sticks straight out of the mouth) late last year. They spent a couple months learning to play their first musical instrument and were then invited to Benaroya Hall to play their recorders WITH the Seattle Symphony Orchestra (SSO). Part of the SSO’s Link Up program, the students nearly filled the main floor sections of Benaroya Hall, with teachers, parents and others in the balconies supporting them. Highline Music4Life Chapter President Cathy Thompson says, “I can see that it could be life changing for children who do not otherwise have access to professional performances.” Yup. That’s Music4Life!!!

Music4Life Is A “Community Service” Activity

Music4Life has Chapters that are public school district based. Twelve in all right now. All have local team members, so we have our feet on the ground in all participating school districts. Even though we started as a Rotary activity, we’re now an independent 501-c-3 non-profit organization. We welcome members of Kiwanis, Lions, Soroptimists, Chambers and anyone else who shares our values and dedication to “kids,” “instrumental music” or “education.” Looking for something meaningful to do with your time? Just contact any of our Chapter presidents.

Instrument Repair Shops Are All Backed-Up

Many would like to think that the pandemic of Covid is behind us and resolved. Don’t try to tell that to the vendor/repair shops that do our work. Many skilled technicians were laid off or just lost their jobs during the pandemic and have had to go on to other things. As the shops started recovering, they found it difficult to get many of these workers back. The result has been a huge backlog of instrument repair work by nearly all vendor/repair shops. We’re trying to find more shops, but a result has been slowed delivery of instruments we approve for repairs.

We Use Two Metrics

How does Music4Life keep track of its impact on student musicians? We don’t identify individual students who get our ready-to-play musical instruments because family income information is VERY privileged. But we do keep track each year of the number of each musical instrument delivered to public school districts and the fair market value of each. The reason is simple: A piccolo and a piano are each counted as one instrument, but they have vastly different values. Same for an alto saxophone or a bassoon, etc. We not only track these two metrics by year, but by each participating public school district and by month of delivery. It’s all part of our ongoing effort to provide accountability.

Looking for Governing Board Members

Music4Life seeks volunteer Governing Board members. Those who share our values of “kids,” “instrumental music” or “education" are welcome to apply. We particularly seek those with marketing, development (fund raising) or finance expertise. Also welcome are those who are interested in service on one of our 12 local Chapter teams. If one of these describes you, just contact us at David@Music4Life.org.

Details

February 27, 2024

SEATTLE, Washington Music4Life is adding its 12th chapter serving the students of families in-need who attend the Lake Washington School District. Students receive ready-to-play musical instruments at no charge to the school district.

The Seattle-based non-profit acquires instruments from adults who no longer need them and decide that their highest and best use is to put them back into play. The Music4Life Donor Form must accompany the instrument. Music4Life started in 2007 by providing ready-to-play musical instruments to Seattle Public Schools. Since then, chapters have been added for Highline, Shoreline, Edmonds, Everett, Northshore, Bremerton, Auburn, Kent, Marysville, Riverview and now Lake Washington public school districts.

Dr. Gary Cohn, president of the Rotary Club of Kirkland, initiated the new chapter after having started a Music4Life program that is still serving Everett Public Schools. “Music4Life is a wonderful gift in our schools, especially those with larger numbers of students of poverty,” says the former Everett superintendent. “The program provides yet another support for students and contributes to reducing barriers to accessing music programs that serve students in school and for the rest of their lives.”

Prof. Jocelyn Reiter Ellison of the Rotary Club of Kirkland serves as the chapter’s founding president and notes that, “As a former music teacher and professional musician, I am especially excited to be chairing Music4Life's twelfth school district program.” Ellison is Professor Emerita from the University of Arizona where she was Director of Graduate Studies in Music.

Research shows that students who participate in school-based instrumental music activities do better in math, science, history, literature, international languages, reading and writing, even in computer science, in addition to what it teaches in terms of teamwork and self-discipline. “Not all children want to participate in instrumental music activities, of course,” says Co-Founder/CEO David Endicott. “But for those who do and whose families cannot afford a musical instrument, they are effectively barred from getting the full basic education guaranteed by the Washington Constitution. And the sad fact is that, even in today’s post-pandemic economy, many families cannot even afford to rent a musical instrument. So Music4Life is just as much an education program as it is an instrumental music program.”

Details

October 04, 2023

Village Theatre (Issaquah & Everett) is proud to share the incredible work of Music4Life™ during their production of "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical." The play runs from November 14th to December 23rd at Village Theatre in Issaquah and from January 6, 2024 to January 28, 2024 in Everett.
Get more info and buy tickets here.

Details

September 27, 2023

Music4Life reports delivering 258 full-sized ready-to-play musical instruments during the 2022-23 school year to its 11 participating public school districts. The instruments are free-of-charge and intended for use by the students of families in-need.

Also provided were 1,375 recorders (the little flute-like instrument that sticks straight out of the mouth) for use by third- and fourth-graders in the Link-Up program with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra. The youngsters get their recorders in the fall, learn to play them and are then invited to Benaroya Hall to play the instruments with the Seattle Symphony.

“The total value of instruments provided is $126,923 as determined by our independent vendor/repair experts,” says Music4Life C-Founder & CEO David Endicott. “Need” is often demonstrated by a family’s participation in free-or- reduced lunch programs and determined at the teacher level, he adds.

Research shows that students who participate in school instrumental music activities do better in math, science, history, literature, international languages, reading and writing, even in computer science, in addition to what it teaches in terms of teamwork and self-discipline. Not all children want to participate in instrumental music activities, of course.

“But for those who do and whose families cannot afford a musical instrument,” Endicott says, “they are effectively barred from getting the full basic education guaranteed to them by the Washington State Constitution. And the sad fact is that, in today’s pandemic-recovering economy, many families cannot even afford to rent a musical instrument. So Music4Life is just as much an education program as it is an instrumental music program.”

During this fiscal school year, Music4Life delivered ready-to-play musical instruments to Auburn, Bremerton, Edmonds, Everett, Highline, Kent, Marysville, Northshore, Riverview, Seattle and Shoreline Public Schools. Several new public school districts are being considered and others are welcome to apply. It is sponsored by Rotary clubs and other community service organizations, corporations, foundations, government agencies and individual donors.

Ready-to-play musical instruments are provided to qualified students in these as long as they stay enrolled in that public school district. “We figure that the more they use the instruments, the better they’ll get,” Endicott says. “If they leave the school district for any reason, such as graduation or the family moves, the instrument needs to be returned to the school district so another student of a family in-need can benefit from its use.” Each instrument has a remaining useful life of three-to-15 years, meaning that multiple students may benefit from its use.

“Local enthusiasts who share our values of service to ‘kids,’ ‘instrumental music’ or ‘education’ are welcome to join one of our local Chapters,” Endicott says.

Details

August 10, 2023

Total Instruments Delivered

Music4Life™ has delivered 1,629 ready-to-play musical instruments valued at $124,150 to its 11 participating public school districts since Sept. 1, 2022. All instrument values are after repairs are completed and are estimated by our independent third-party vendor-experts.

Intended for use by the students of income-qualified families, each instrument must be returned when the student leaves the school district (due to graduation, family moves to another school district, etc.) so another student can benefit from its use.

Blues ‘n Brews Set for August 26th

The 12th annual Poverty Bay Blues ‘n Brews Festival is set for Saturday, August 26th, at the Des Moines Beach Park. The event opens at 11 a.m. and features four prominent blues bands during the day, a dozen or so local craft breweries, ciders & wines and a variety of fine foods for purchase. The price of admission gets you tokens you can redeem for all of the brews and food. This is a honkin’ good time!! You must be 21 to enter and no pets are allowed.

Alaska Airlines is providing Highline Music4Life with two complimentary round-trip tickets anywhere they fly (seat value is $1,250 each) as benefits for a raffle that will be limited to the first 100 raffle ticket buyers. So you’ve got one-in-a-hundred chances to win; two-in-a-hundred if you’re a couple. A HECK of a lot better odds than the lottery! Limited to the first 100 raffle ticket buyers at $50 each ticket.

Adieu to Long-Time Treasurer

Having served two separate terms for nearly half of our entire 17-years of existence, Gary M. Ryno has decided to step-away as our volunteer Music4Life Treasurer and Governing Board Member. A seasoned finance veteran nearly all his professional life, Gary had been a senior-level executive of Seattle Trust, Sumitomo Bank, Asia-Europe-Americas Bank and others. It’s hard to know how to thank Gary enough for all his help and guidance.

So, we’re now in search of a new volunteer treasurer. Let us know if you have ideas to discuss.

Ukulele Fest Held in Everett

An inaugural "Ukulele Festival" was held in May at the Everett Civic Auditorium that featured beginning music student groups. Our abundant congratulations to Everett music teacher Emily Cheever, Everett Chapter President Jane Webber and the rest of the event’s organizers. Special thanks go to Joyce Yamane & Steve Waite of the Kazuo & Mary Yamane Foundation for buying 78 of the ukuleles used that evening!

Lamar Billboards Promote Des Moines Event

Be on the lookout for outdoor advertising supporting the Poverty Bay Blues ‘n Brews Festival in Des Moines that are provided by Lamar Advertising. Lamar is the national agency that acquired Clear Channel a few years ago, the successor itself to Ackerly Communications. For several years Lamar and Clear Channel before it have provided free outdoor advertising to support events from which Music4Life is a primary beneficiary. Many thanks to Lamar for its continuing work on our behalf.

Fred Meyer Helps

In case you weren’t aware, Fred Meyer and other retailers in the area provide financial support to Music4Life at no extra charge to you. As part of their "good will" efforts, Freddy’s and others provide us a part of your purchase price every time you shop there. Freddy’s support is limited to organizations involved with youth development, hunger relief, and community services in Washington. All you need do is sign-up on Freddy's charitable giving site and select "Music4Life" as your desired beneficiary. Everything else is automatic..

Large Increase in Delivered Instruments

In case you were wondering, Music4Life experienced a rather large increase in the number of delivered instruments this year. In past years we’ve been able to provide about 250-300 ready-to-play musical instruments, everything from piccolos to pianos. As you can see from the first article in this newsletter, that has gone up to more than 1,600 instruments.

The reason: The Governing Board decided we should start counting recorders (the little flute-light instrument that sticks straight out of the mouth) that are provided to 3rd and 4th graders to play with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra at Benaroya Hall. We provided 1,375 recorders to Highline students for this purpose. The basic policy reasoning is that recorders are also entry-level instruments that start a student on the road to Music4Life and, thus, should be counted. Just thought you should know this for clarification.

Why We Use Two Metrics for Measuring Success

Music4Life has always used two metrics for determining our success:

1) The number of delivered musical instruments; and

2) The fair market value of each instrument.

Here’s why. A piccolo and a piano both count as one musical instrument each. But their values are likely to be vastly different, especially if the piano is a baby grand or a grand. As a "recovering tuba" player, it’s not likely I’ll know about the values of a violin, a bassoon or a clarinet. So we leave that decision to our preferred vendors. We ask them to tell us what they’d sell the repaired instrument for if they put it on their shelf for purchase by the public. Month-to-month, we do our best to see to it that instrument values are delivered to participating public school districts based on the relative financial productivity of their Chapter teams. As it works out, one of our Chapters with the highest financial productivity (Highline) is also working for the school district where the need is greatest.

How We Know What Instruments Are Needed

Every year at this time we ask our participating public school district representatives to tell us the specific kinds of instruments they need during the coming year. Some school districts don’t have orchestras, so strings are not needed. For others, there may be a need for more trumpets — or violins — or clarinets, etc. A list of about three dozen instruments is provided to each. This is one tool that helps us provide instruments that school districts say they need. These "Instrument Needs Surveys" will be going out very soon.

Annual Report Now Available

The Music4Life Annual Report is now available on our website. It addresses activities during our two most recent years and reports our successes and our shepherding of your resources. (The current fiscal year doesn’t end until August 31st.) Contact us if you have questions.

Details

May 18, 2023

Total Instruments Delivered

Music4Life™ has delivered 1,599 ready-to-play musical instruments valued at $102,750 to its 11 participating public school districts since Sept. 1, 2022. All instrument values are estimated by our independent third-party vendor-experts. Intended for use by the students of income-qualified families, each instrument must be returned when the student leaves the school district (due to graduation, family moves to another school district, etc.) so another student can benefit from its use.

Budget Cutbacks in Public Education

One of the unfortunate effects of the pandemic has been declining public school enrollments. A result is cuts in school district budgets due to declining state support. And as most of us have come to know, “the arts are the first to go.” Alas, too many of these are elementary school programs, the age at which most kids become at-risk and need something meaningful to do with their time. Something such as instrumental music activities.

Music4Life is discussing declining budgets with the Washington Music Educators Association (WMEA) and other high level organizations. Part of the answer may lie with greater awareness of the real importance of all arts in the fundamental education guaranteed by the state constitution. So write to your local newspaper. Write to your state representative and state senator. No matter what happens, there will still be students of families in-need who cannot afford musical instruments. So Music4Life will continue soldiering-on to meet this need.

SnoCo Arts Renews Its Support

The Snohomish County Arts Commission has renewed its annual support for Music4Life. The SnoCo Arts grant of $3,000 is limited to support students in our participating Everett, Edmonds, Marysville and Northshore Schools programs, just as the King County award supports programs there. Other public school districts are welcome to join us, as well. As always, our ABUNDANT THANKS to SnoCo Arts for its ongoing financial support and enthusiasm for the work of Music4Life!

The POWER of Instrumental Music

The power of instrumental music was on display in Everett on Monday evening, May 15th, as students began their journey into the wonderful world of music by playing ukuleles, 78 of which were donated by the Kazuo & Mary Yamane Foundation. On hand for the "Music4Life Ukulele Fest" were Joyce Yamane and husband Steve Waite. Joyce points out that the ukulele is a terrific beginner's instrument from which many graduate to the trumpets, saxophones, violins, bassoons and other musical instruments of the band and orchestra world. Many thanks to Joyce and Steve for making the event possible!

AmazonSmile Is Cancelled

In case you hadn’t noticed, Amazon has cancelled its AmazonSmile program. The program had been designed to provide a portion of each purchase at no additional cost to the buyer and was a significant potential source of revenue for qualified non-profit activities such as Music4Life. No explanation was available. We have noticed, however that very similar programs are available at QFC and Fred Meyer. There’s no extra cost to you! All you have to do is sign up and designate Music4Life as your beneficiary.

Student Use Agreement to School Rep’s

One way to increase the impact of Music4Life instruments provided to students has been to assure that the instruments remain in the school districts after the student no longer uses them (such as after graduation or the family moves out of the school district). Students who get our ready-to-play instruments, therefore, are told that each instrument is a “loaner.” S/He’s welcome to use it as long as it’s playable and s/he remains in the school district. After that, the instrument needs to be returned to the school district so another student who needs it can benefit from its use. The updated Student Use Agreement will e-distributed to all participating school districts beginning with the new school year on September 1st.

Details

March 01, 2023

Total Instruments Delivered
Music4Life™ has delivered 1,567 ready-to-play musical instruments valued at $79,326 to its 11 participating public school districts since Sept. 1, 2023. All instrument values are estimated by our independent third-party vendor-experts. Intended for use by the students of income-qualified families, each instrument must be returned when the student leaves the school district (due to graduation, family moves to another school district, etc.) so another student can benefit from its use.

Views of an Everett Music Teacher
Sometimes others just say it better than we can.

"Thank you SO much for facilitating this in lightning-speed time! I wish you could have been here to see this young girl’s face … and now she will be able to be in band next year. There are no words to describe the look on her face as tears of joy ran down her cheek upon realizing what this meant for her. Your hearts would have been full of joy if you knew just how important this is to her. I know none of us go into music teaching for the financial rewards – it’s moments like this that make it all worthwhile.

"And the added bonus of what you are doing is that it doesn’t stop with her…this instrument will serve many students over the course of its lifetime. The extent of your generosity goes way beyond what you will ever know. So thank you for your tireless efforts and endless generosity as ambassadors for Music4Life. I’m your biggest fan!"

Lesley Moffat
Jackson High School in Everett

4Culture Renews Its Support
4Culture [formerly the Seattle-King County Arts Commission (“one percent for the arts”)] has renewed its annual “arts sustained support” for Music4Life. More than a 60 percent increase over the pre-pandemic support, the new funds TOTALING $4,500 will be used to support those public school district programs within King County (Auburn, Highline, Kent, Northshore, Riverview, Seattle and Shoreline) during the 2023-24 school year. As always, our ABUNDANT THANKS to 4Culture (and to Bret Fetzer) for their ongoing financial support and enthusiasm for our work!

Jackson High School Gets a Grand Piano
Jackson H.S. in Everett is getting a Young Chang grand piano. Thanks go to donor Gordon Graham, whose late wife Mary Pat played it constantly in their Mukilteo home and willed it to Music4Life.

Pianos are a rarity for us due to their size and the difficulty in getting them resettled. “The PROMISE of Music4Life” is always a ready-to-play musical instrument. Getting this done for any piano is an extremely complex operation.

MANY THANKS to Gordon (& to the late Mary Pat) for making it possible!

Recorders for Highline
One thousand three hundred seventy-five (1,375) young Highline students are now learning to play their recorders (the little flute-like instrument that sticks straight out of the mouth). Seen by most as an entry-level (beginner) instrument, these recorders have been provided by Music4Life to third- and fourth-graders in the Highline Schools system. What’s unusual about these recorders is that the kids are taking a couple months to learn to play them and then will be invited to play them in Benaroya Hall with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra on May 11, 18 & 19. It’s always an event that none of the kids and most of the rest of us will never forget!

Seattle Symphony CEO to Speak at Rotary
Speaking of the Seattle Symphony, Krishna Thiagarajan, CEO of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, is scheduled to speak to the Puget Sound Passport Rotary Club, on March 1st at 5 pm. "Success in a Post-Pandemic Environment" is his topic for all senior management, not just the arts. Everyone is welcome to attend, so just click here to join the meeting. March 1st at 5 pm.

Ukuleles for Everett
Another entry-level instrument is the ukulele. 78 students in Everett Public Schools have begun playing their new ukuleles that have been provided by the Yamane Family Foundation. The students’ work culminates with a concert on May 15th at 7 pm in the Everett Civic Auditorium. Hope you can join us there!

New Arts Education Law
Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal has issued "New Educator Endorsement Requirements for Visual and Performing Arts Instruction" for all public school districts in Washington state. This adds visual and performing arts to the list of common school instruction requirements for all K-12 education. It adds new endorsement requirements for educators teaching the arts. New requirements for arts course offerings for students in elementary, middle and for grades 9 through 12 are required beginning in school year 2023–24. In other words, now. The instructions implement legislation that became law last year. The new arts requirement comes at a time of declining public school district enrollments and budget cutbacks.

Details

December 01, 2022

Total Instruments Delivered
In case you haven't heard yet, Music4Life™ has delivered more than 3,000 ready-to-play musical instruments in our first 15 years to local school districts for use by students from income-qualified families.

Last year alone (ending August 31st), we delivered 276 instruments valued at $109,802. All instrument values are estimated by our independent third-party vendor-experts.

Intended for use by the students of income-qualified families, each instrument must be returned when the student leaves the school district (due to graduation, family moves to another school district, etc.) so another student in-need can benefit from its use.

Local Music Teacher Cites Importance
Occasionally, someone else describes the importance of Music4Life for students interested in instrumental music but whose families can't afford instruments. Here's a recent example:

"After teaching high school band for 30 years, I moved to teaching middle school this year. In the high school, most students provide their own instruments, however, at the middle school, that's not the case.

"Until this year, I had no idea what a critical role Music4Life plays in subsidizing the instruments the district provides. Holy cow. If it weren't for M4L, we'd have a lot of students who would not be able to play an instrument, or at least not the instrument of their choice.

"I am now only fully beginning to comprehend how much M4L contributes to the students in our school district, and I am in awe.

"THANK YOU to everyone who donates, repairs and provides instruments for our students. It matters."

Lesley Moffat
Director of Bands
Heatherwood Middle School
Mill Creek, Washington

Top-to-Bottom Evaluation Completed
Music4Life recently commissioned the Ostara Group to do a top-to-bottom / inside-out review of what we do and how we do it. (Ostara is the prominent development consulting firm in Seattle that's done similar work for Cancer Lifeline, the Ballard Food Bank, Bloedel Reserve and others.)

Hundreds of financial and instrument donors, Chapter leaders and others were surveyed. Besides praising our efforts, respondents had several recommendations that we're implementing.

You'll be hearing more about these in future editions of Quarter Notes. In the meantime, many thanks to all who responded, as well as to Ali Marcus, Adam Runions & Scott Sadler of Ostara.

More Students Are Interested in Instrumental Music
Everett Chapter President Jane Webber reports a 29.4 percent increase in the number of students participating in band programs in Everett Public Schools (684 students last school year to 885) and a whopping 48.9 percent increase in the number of students in orchestra programs (372 to 554) there during the same period. More and more students are interested in instrumental music, it seems. The State of Washington is also requiring more attention to arts education (see next edition).

Recorders for Highline
Highline P.S. fourth graders recently received 1,375 recorders (the little flute-like instrument that sticks straight out of the mouth) purchased by Music4Life with funds from the Des Moines / Normandy Park Rotary Club.

An entry-level musical instrument, the kids are learning to play their recorders and will be invited to Benaroya Hall to play them with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra in March. As part of the SSO's "Link Up" program with the Carnegie Foundation, this helps start any student on the road to an appreciation for music for life!

Ukuleles for Everett Students
Another entry-level musical instrument is the ukulele, 78 of which have been ordered for Everett P.S. At a unit cost of about $75 each, the uk's have been purchased with a major grant from the Yamane Family Foundation.

We've been told that a ukulele concert is being planned for 7 p.m. on May 15th in Everett, so you might set that date/time aside to attend.

Many Thanks to Lamar Advertising
Music4Life enjoys the active support of several regional and local communications organizations (KING FM Radio, Encore Media Group, Shoreline Area News among them). Several years ago Lamar Advertising (billboard, digital, transit & airport advertising) acquired Clear Channel Communications that previously had acquired Ackerley Communications. Lamar has offices serving the Puget Sound area, as well as Yakima.

Brendan Smith runs the Seattle office of Lamar, which has provided communications support for several of our local events from the beginning. Lamar has now been asked to help us say thanks to those who provide financial support and musical instruments to Music4Life by running these billboards.

NOTE: Lamar provides billboard support on a space-available basis. Music4Life doesn't buy advertising from anyone so we can put maximum resources into instrument repairs for kids.

Details

June 02, 2022

Total Instruments Delivered
Music4Life™ has delivered 251 instruments valued at $98,502 to its 11 participating public school districts since Sept. 1, 2021. All instrument values are estimated by our independent third-party vendor-experts. Intended for use by the students of income-qualified families, each instrument must be returned when the student leaves the school district (graduation, family moves to another school district, etc.) so another student can benefit from its use.

Major Grant from 4Culture
4Culture (formerly the Seattle/King County Arts Commission) provides an annual sustaining grant to Music4Life for its operations in King County. Due to the pandemic, other funds have become available that allow a one-time grant of $11,500. As usual, these funds will be used to support our seven Chapters in King County based on the relative financial productivity of each of their Chapter teams.

Superintendent Bids Farewell
"Thank you ... I am grateful for all you have done for our students over the years. It has been a pleasure working with you (Highline Music4Life)."
So says Superintendent Susan Enfield as she leaves Highline Public Schools to everyone's great regret after ten-plus years at its helm to pursue other educational leadership opportunities. Not all superintendents are anywhere nearly as beloved as Superintendent Susan has become. Our very best wishes go with you, Superintendent Susan!

Highline Schools Foundation Support
Highline Music4Life President Cathy Thompson reports that the Highline Schools Foundation has renewed its financial support for the Highline program with a grant of $5,000. All funds will be used, of course, exclusively to benefit students attending Highline Public Schools. In addition to Music4Life, the Highline Foundation provides direct support for students, families, classrooms and schools in the Highline district. The Foundation also welcomes new Executive Director Fred Swanson as it bids adieu to Anne Gillingham.

Windermere Program Produces
Our program with the Windermere Real Estate offices in Western Washington has resulted in more than three dozen "lovingly used" musical instruments donated to Music4Life. Windermere brokers & agents use the affiliation with Music4Life to enhance their client relationships as one example of Windermere's involvement in the community. Three offices were active in this year's effort: Edmonds, Seward Park and Shoreline (see photo), the latter alone producing more than two dozen instruments! Thanks to Shoreline Owner/Broker Theresa Alston. Many thanks again to Windermere President Jill Wood, as well as to Scott Mickelson of the corporate office.

Everett Donor Buys Tuba
The Seagull Band Boosters have provided resources for the purchase of a new Yamaha four-valve tuba (Editor's Note: Be still my heart!!) that will go to the Everett High School band. Ted Brown Music won the RFP for purchase of the instrument. After set-up and delivery for in-processing to Everett P.S., the tuba will be welcomed by band director Megan Vinther for use by her First Chair tuba player each year.

SnoCo Arts Commission Grant
The Snohomish County Arts Commission has provided a grant of $2,000 to Music4Life. These funds will be used to benefit students attending the four public school districts in Snohomish County (Edmonds, Everett, Marysville & Northshore) based on the relative financial productivity or each Chapter's team. Many thanks to SnoCo Arts! Other public school districts are welcome to benefit from Music4Life next year and beyond.

All Music4Life Instruments Are Loaners
It's very important to remember that all instruments provided by Music4Life, whether repaired or new, are on-loan to students. They're NOT owned by the students. There's a complicated legal reason for this. But our essential purpose is to provide instruments for use by students of families in-need. We encourage school districts to tell the kids they may use the instruments for any in- or out-of-school musical activities as long as they're enrolled in the school district. If they leave for any reason (graduation, family moves out of the district, etc.), the instrument must be returned to the school district so another student may benefit from its use. Most Music4Life instruments have a remaining useful life of three-to-five years, sometimes more. Ultimately, several students are likely to benefit from the use of each instrument.

Details

February 23, 2022

Total Instruments Delivered
Music4Life™ has delivered 162 ready-to-play musical instruments valued at $46,677 to its 11 participating public school districts since Sept. 1, 2021. All instrument values are estimated by our independent third-party vendor-experts. Intended for use by the students of income-qualified families, each instrument must be returned when the student leaves the school district (graduation, family moves to another school district, etc.) so another student can benefit from its use.

Largest Donation Ever Received
Music4Life recently received its largest single financial donation ever. The $20,000 donation was from an anonymous source and to be used wherever there's the greatest need. Accordingly, the donation is assigned for use by all eleven public school district-based Chapters based on the relative financial productivity of each of their Chapter teams. If you are this donor, please accept our abundant thanks for helping to provide the life-long educational benefits of instrumental music to students who might not otherwise receive them.

Ukuleles to Everett Students
Our thanks also to the Kazuo & Mary Yamane Family Foundation for providing 64 new Kala tenor ukuleles to our Everett program. Shown here are students in Daniel Powers' Lowell Elementary School, one of four Everett schools that got ukuleles, starting on their life-long journey of instrumental music. Ukuleles are just one of several musical instruments (others that have been provided by Music4Life are recorders and harmonicas) used by beginner students. This is the second donation of ukuleles by the Yamane Family Foundation, the first set of 60 having gone last August to Highline Public Schools. Our thanks to the Yamane Family Foundation!

Why No Dollar Value for Donated Instruments
Music4Life receives hundreds of donated musical instruments each year from people who have them in their garages, attics or closets. Rather than still sitting there unused, donors often realize that their highest and best use is to put them back into play. We're grateful for every single donated instrument! Putting a dollar value on them is a complicated, highly regulated legal process that even most of our vendor-repair shops are not qualified to do. When requested, what we do instead is to provide detailed information about the musical instrument donated, right down to citing the serial number. This gives the donor information they'll need to defend the value of their donation to the IRS.

Kent Program Announces Summer Fund Raiser
The Kent Music4Life Chapter is planning an event for Sunday afternoon, July 21st. Details are still in-process. But Chapter President Allyson Johnson says the hope to feature prominent jazz saxophonist and local luminary Darren Motamedy. Join us!

Grant from Everett Cultural Arts Commission
Jane Webber, President of the Everett Music4Life Chapter, tells us the Cultural Arts Commission of the City of Everett has approved $2,000 for our Everett Program. Established in 1974, the Everett Cultural Arts Commission is a citizen advisory board composed of 11 volunteers (plus alternates) appointed by the mayor and City Council. Commission members include artists, arts professionals and citizens with strong links to Everett's arts community. Aaron Alonzo, Production Manager for KIDSTAGE/Village Theatre, serves as Commission Chair. The funds will be used exclusively to benefit students attending Everett Public Schools by funding repairs to donated instruments that are provided to the school district for students to play.

Backlog at Repair Shops Continues
Music4Life has approved the repair of a large number of musical instruments, all done at local instrument repair shops. We like the work to benefit as many local retailers as possible. Included are Kennelly Keys Music, hq'd in Lynnwood; Ted Brown Music, hq'd in Tacoma and numerous others. One of the unfortunate effects of the ongoing pandemic is that repair shops have had a hard time finding qualified repair technicians to fill vacancies caused by temporary store closures last year. You can't expect a dentist or auto mechanic to repair a used musical instrument. We soldier on!

Outreach to the Students of Families In-Need
Musical instruments are provided to the students of families in-need, especially the youngest students. Family income information is very privileged, of course. One way of demonstrating "need" is participation in school free-and-reduced-lunch programs. There may very well be others. The lack of in-person meetings only adds to the problem. Please let us know if you have an idea that can help reach families in-need. While we can’t promise a ready-to-play musical instrument to every child who needs one, we surely do want to do the best we can.

Instruments Are On-Loan to Students
The basic idea of Music4Life is that instruments are provided on a long-term loan basis to public school districts, who in turn lend them to students in-need. The students do not own the instruments. They may use them for any in- or out-of-school musical activity as long as they're enrolled in the school district. If they leave for any reason (graduation, parents move out of the district, etc.), the instruments must be returned to the school district so another student in-need can benefit from its use. Over the course of its remaining life, this means two, three, five other students ultimately may from the use of a single instrument. It's MAGIC!! :-)

Details

December 28, 2021

Total Instruments Delivered
Music4Life™ finished the 2020-21 fiscal year by providing 298 ready-to-play musical instruments valued at $145,632 to its 11 participating public school districts. This was an increase from the 240 instruments the previous year. All instrument values are according to our independent third-party vendor-experts. Intended for use by the students of income-qualified families, each instrument must be returned when the student leaves the school district (graduation, family moves to another school district, etc.) so another student can benefit from its use. The current year is off to a fast start with 79 instruments valued at $29,113 provided thru the end of December, not yet counting the 64 ukuleles (see Yamane below) delivered to our Everett program by month's end.

Blues 'n Brews Nets BIG-time for Music4Life
The 2021 Poverty Bay "Blues ‘n Brews Festival" returned in late August to great applause as home-bound celebrants returned to what was for many their first foray in a long time back to in-person gatherings. "A production of the Des Moines / Normandy Park Rotary Club, all of the net proceeds help power the beneficiaries of this Rotary Club, including the Highline Music4Life program and numerous others," says Cathy Thompson, president of Highline Music4Life. After a year-off caused by the pandemic, this was a fantastic event to re-connect with friends. "The spirit of local community service inspires our work," President Cathy says.

Yamane Family Foundation Helps Kids
The Kazuo & Mary Yamane Family Foundation has gifted another 64 ukuleles, this time to four Everett public schools, which will be delivered this month. These are in addition to the 60 ukuleles already delivered to the Highline School District. The Yamane Family Foundation, with its strong roots in Hawaii, believes that the ukulele is a great instrument to begin a student's journey into the wonderful world of music. How well the Yamane Family remembers the magic of strumming a ukulele in school! Music4Life works with local music store vendors to get discounted prices. MANY thanks to the Kazuo & Mary Yamane Family Foundation for giving students the opportunity of experiencing the joy of music, starting with ukuleles.

Encore Media Group
If you're one of many who've received their Covid vaccinations and have started attending live concerts again, you may begin noticing the Music4Life ads that are appearing in concert programs. Encore Media Group produces the printed and digital programs for many of the top arts organizations in the Puget Sound area and provides these ads in-kind to Music4Life. "We're always glad to learn that these ads inspire many musical instrument and financial donations to Music4Life," says Encore president (and long-time friend) Paul Heppner. As they say, Encore!!

Kent Music4Life Fund Raiser
The Kent Music4Life Chapter implemented its first-ever fund raiser at the start of our new fiscal year (always starts each Sept. 1st). The live, in-person event featured two professional musicians from the Auburn Symphony Orchestra. Proceeds are being used to pay for repairs to the musical instruments delivered this year to Kent Public Schools for use by students in-need. Attendees and financial donors included the new Interim Superintendent of Kent Public Schools, Israel Vela. Kent Music4Life President Allyson Johnson says thanks to Cynthia Boyd, Linda Mackintosh, Brenda Farwell and all the others who helped organize this successful kick-off event.

You Don’t Have to Be Local to Help!
Music4Life receives many "lovingly used" musical instruments and financial help from donors throughout the greater Puget Sound area. One of the many benefits of the virtual environment, however, is that you don’t have to be local to help. We've just received our first financial donation from Vern of Yorktown, Virginia! Music4Life was created in 2007 to help kids of needy families. Many also are at-risk. As you might well guess, there's no geographical limitation to where such kids are found. Meaning, we're willing to come your way, Vern! Many thanks

Instrument Repair Shops Are All Backed-up
One of the unfortunate temporary(?) outcomes of the pandemic is that instrument repair shops are all backed-up because of the difficulty in finding (and hiring!) qualified repair technicians. This is the case for all of our current vendors. Musical instruments need repair even if they've been sitting unused for a while. As most schools return to some form of in-person classes, our need for ready-to-play musical instruments increases even as repair shops struggle to recover.

The Passing of Marge Williams
Music4Life is sad to tell you of the passing of Marge Williams of the Kent Music4Life Chapter. Marge, along with husband Harry Williams, was there as we created the Kent Music4Life Chapter and an eager participant in its all activities. Marge was a long-time member of the Kent Sunrise Rotary Club and an incredibly valued and loving member of our Kent team. We miss you so much already, Marge!