Description

If you’re wanting to help raise money for the recent devastating hurricanes and flooding but aren’t sure where to start, here’s a free fundraising kit with all the instructions and editable forms you’ll need for your studio, classroom, church, or other group.

Students in my piano studio participated in an effort to raise money for victims of the devastating flood that destroyed so many homes in Louisiana in August 2016, and we used this kit to create our Practice-A-Thon sponsor forms and practice logs.

We’d love for your students to join us in the disaster relief efforts, whether to raise money for Louisiana (2016 flood), North Carolina (2016 Hurricane Matthew flood), the Houston area (2017 Hurricane Harvey flood), those affected by Hurricane Irma (2017) or for victims of another disaster. Kids really can help other kids in ways that are greater than they can imagine!

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HOW MY STUDENTS AND I USED THIS KIT: My piano students and I used these forms to create a “Piano Practice-A-Thon” that we held throughout the month of September 2016 to raise donations to send to a special family in Louisiana who felt the long-lasting effects of the flood. Students kept track of their piano practice minutes each day, and they asked friends and family to sponsor them for each minute they practiced. Friends and family could pledge a flat donation if they chose, instead of pledging by the minute. Students kept track of the donations and practice minutes, and after we collected all of the donations throughout the first week of October, my small piano studio of 11 students had raised nearly $1500! I was so proud of them for their hard work and willingness to help others! You are welcome to use this fundraising kit to raise money for any organization that is accepting donations for disasters. 100% of the proceeds from my studio’s Practice-A-Thon were sent directly to the immediate family and extended family of my piano student who lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Many of you have heard about her when I’ve spoken about teaching her piano lessons on Skype.

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THEIR STORY: My student’s home suffered damage, but they are still able to live in their home as they make repairs. My student’s retired grandparents on both sides of the family lost their homes, vehicles, and most of their belongings to the flood. Their homes had approximately five feet of water, and many of their belongings could not be salvaged, as you can see in the photos. They needed financial help rebuilding their homes and lives.

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LASTING EFFECTS ON MY STUDENTS: My students (ages 5-16) were so proud to help someone they know, even though they have never met this student in person (and by extension her family and grandparents), and I am so proud of them for participating so fully in this effort. It was a great lesson for my students to truly realize that their music can help people in such a fundamental way, and it has been eye-opening for them to understand that a family they know was so affected by the flooding.

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THE DOWNLOAD: This download includes my studio’s personalized Practice-A-Thon information, plus a fully editable generic version that you can personalize for your own class, church, school, girl scout troop, after-school club, or other group. Open the PowerPoint, add text boxes, and type your own information onto the pages. For the purposes of only this fundraiser, you are welcome to copy and paste any of the information that I used for the 2016 fundraiser my piano studio held. Add your logo and contact information if you like. Then you can print the pages you need and distribute them to your students. If you are not a music teacher, you can use this fundraising kit to keep track of how many pages of a book students read, how many math problems they solve, how many miles they ride a bike, anything you can think of! This fundraiser can be held at any time, and can last as long as you wish. When you are finished with your fundraiser, it is fully up to you to choose where the money is donated and how to send it there.

Will you join us in helping someone in need? Thank you! ___________________________________________________________________________________________