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Message from Wendy at the Jazz Foundation Dearest Wonderful You, I need to ask you all something because its causing me to lose sleep and I don't know how to make it better. You know every time our people have been in crisis, if we know about it, we are there. We read about the desperation in Puerto Rico each day in the NY Times. These innocent people are not part of any corrupt system, they are independent artists who have lost their way of life from the hurricane and from what some very greedy bond brokers and banks did to their economy. So we couldn't take it anymore and we went down there last week and met with over 150 musicians, and saw with our own eyes that this is as bad if not worse, than Katrina! Most of our staff was in tears during this trip. You know what these people did when they met us? These big hearted beautiful musicians of Puerto Rico who have nothing, brought us food, flowers and thank you notes, just because someone came to see how they were, and they couldn't believe it! They cried and embraced us and said "Just coming to see us has given us hope." There music was incredible, romantic, passionate, soft ballads that made you cry, rhythmic drums that made you realize these are indigenous people with ancestral roots so deep and so refined, even their orchestra played classical music that rivaled the Met. These musicians have been independent their whole lives, they've worked harder than most people you will ever know, they worked in hotels, restaurants, street events and clubs and never needed or asked for help, they've worked with broken wrists, broken hearts and even cancer but you would never hear them complain. THEY DIDNT EVEN ASK US FOR ANYTHING WHILE WE WERE THERE... They just said "We just want to work again." BY BRINGING THE MUSIC BACK, YOU WILL BRING THE TOURISM BACK - JUST LIKE WE DID TOGETHER IN NEW ORLEANS! Without any help or hope for 8 months it has started to take it toll: Strokes and heart attacks from lifting trees that older musicians shouldn't be lifting to clear their homes or repair their roof or carry water. We met young single parents with the sweetest little kids who are keeping their food fresh on ice in 86 degree weather because their refrigerators were destroyed. Sometimes you just need the smallest sign that someone cares and you have hope again. GOOD PEOPLE, I NEED SOMEONE TO CARE. If we can just raise $360, 000 YOU WILL: Put 200 musicians back to work with 2 gigs a month like we did in New Orleans. And they can work again! They can have purpose and hope and provide for their families for 6 months to get them through the summer and off-season until tourism begins to come back this fall, giving power grids and homes the chance to get rebuilt. With $140, 000 more YOU WILL: Buy refrigerators for musician families so they can keep their food fresh again. Repair/replace instruments that were ruined I don't sleep anymore. We are speaking to them every day and they just need something to hope for. If everyone reading this each gave something and sent this to their people on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram right now, especially those of you who are famous... we would be able to change their world for a year! All I am asking is just give whatever you can in this moment and help us save them. I can't watch how heartbreaking this is. I'm kicking in a portion of my own salary this year. We are offering you a great reward right now ... The chance to change the lives you are reading about each day. We love these people. Together we CAN change the world we read about. DONATE NOW Note: Donations to our disaster relief in Puerto Rico goes directly to assist musicians in Puerto Rico. Stay awake. The world needs you. This is a street dog who was half-starved, who came to a cantina and laid down right in front of the drummers, she loved the music and wouldn't leave. But look at the expression on her face. This represents much of how I looked after our trip. (And don't worry... the dog has been rescued. between me, a famous musician's wife and board member, we used our own money and a Vet to rescue and treat 2 dogs we found- and they will soon have a home.) http://jazzfoundation.org/donate/ ***Very special thank you to Bobby Sanabria for not only doing the first musician-fundraiser for us but he will be donating a portion of his "West Side Story Reimagined" to JFA for relief to musicians of Puerto Rica Love you Forever & Always, Your Wendy, Joe Petrucelli, Steve Jordan & the entire Band at the JFA Wendy Oxenhorn www.jazzfoundation.org ; "What if Love was your only response...to EVERYTHING. " |
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