KIDS SEE STARS, 2009 project

[BBE]

Kids See Stars is back for another year of helping kids!


We're gearing up Kids See Stars for this year, and it's a very heartwarming project. We will be working on helping the 8 boys in a group home in Chicago have guitars and lessons. These are really cool kids. We visited the group home this summer and got to meet them. They were peeking over the back fence, eagerly waiting to see us arrive! They have had such a rough time in life, and literally have no one, but yet they have these wonderful shining spirits. The boys don’t know anything about the details of the project, so they are in for a happy surprise!

This year, we decided that Kids See Stars has taken on a life and identity of its own, so we are doing the fundraising as music fans paying it forward to the next generation, in honor of all the inspiring musicians to come out of Chicago. So please take a moment to find out more details about the project by visiting www.kidsseestars.com .
We’re also working on getting Christmas cards signed for all the boys, so if you don’t see us at a show before Christmas, there’s info on the site about how you can still participate in the card signing.

Let's make this a very merry Christmas for a great bunch of kids!

Please pass along this info to your friends on other sites, too. Everyone is welcome to lend a hand.
Thank you!

~Kids See Stars mission: To bring love, hope and joy to the lives of children through music. Kids See Stars focuses on children who are at risk, underserved, and with limited access to music programs. www.kidsseestars.com

[BBE]

Forgot to mention--if you would like to donate, we ask that you try to do so as early as possible, since we hope to give the kids their gifts before Christmas.

Thanks!

[dawn]

Thanks for posting this Nancy!

[cfbj01]

Thanks Nancy

[starcrossed]

Awesome cause as always... great job everyone and best of luck

[BBE]

Thanks, girls!

[elves]

Yes, yes!!!! The Elves are back! Thanks Nancy for getting this started.

This year's Christmas present is to the children of Chicago. Like last year we are looking to provide instruments and music lessons to deserving kids in the Chicago area.

Please read Nancy's post for the details and checkout our website at www.kidsseestars.com !!! Making a donation is quick and easy. We are hoping to expand and top our donations from last year!!!

Please donate early so we can get some gifts to the kids for Christmas!!! Thanks for supporting this important cause.

Merry Christmas!!!

[bostongirl]

Hey Everyone!!!!

It's getting close to Christmas and we are hoping folks will be able to help out and contribute again this year. We are raising money for guitars and lessons for some very deserving children in Chicago.

Checkout www.kidseestars.com for details and how to donate!!!

Thanks,
Liz

[ycrney]

Lets help make the Happy Holidays bright!

Hey Everyone~I believe many of you will remember Jen Porter from Acoustic Chicago! Well, Each year Jen sells her Christmas CD called "Jen Porter Plays A Little Christmas Music", with all proceeds going directly to a Charity of her choice. This year Jen has chosen to support Kids See Stars!

We are honored and excited that Jen has chose to donate to Kids See Stars and help us pay it forward to the amazing music that comes out of Chicago.

Remember Kids See Stars mission is to bring hope, joy and all the wonders of music into the lives of children.

Order her music CD now for only $5 and all the proceeds go to Kids See Stars!

www.jenporter.com/discography.html

Thank you all for your continued support of KSS!
Janet

[BBE]

That is so gracious of Jen!
This is a great way to help kids while getting some cool music, and at only $5, the CDs would make excellent stocking stuffers.

[bostongirl]

It's getting close to Christmas!!! For thos who have not had a chance to check out our fundraiser go to www.kidsseestar.com

If you are able to donate, we really appreciate the support. We are hoping to we make alot of kids happy this year!!!

Hope to see everyone at the Cyber Party tomorrow night. Remember the time zone, thing... ;D It is 9pm CT!!

Liz

[starcrossed]

Thank you for the updates and info... I hope that the fundraiser is going well. Blessings to all.

[BBE]

Thanks, Star!

[dawn]

Nancy - I saw the message on the cyber party I'm glad the kids liked the cards, I just wish more people in here had signed the cards

[bostongirl]

Hey Everyone!!!!!

Well that was one unbelievable winter!!!! Was there anywhere in the US that didnt have crazy weather? Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying some warmer, longer days.

I wanted to give everyone an update on the 2009 Kids See Star fundraiser. First, thanks all who could participate this year. We had another very successful event and were able to raise $3,885.00 in donations and equipment for the children of Chicago. We received so many great donations from several Guitar Center stores, DAddario Strings, Jen Porter, Sam Ash Music, Holding Mercury, Lovehammers Store, and many wonderful music fans. Donations included:
5 acoustic guitars
1 acoustic electric guitar
1electric guitar
1 snare drum
Guitar strings
Gift Certificates and monetary donations

Our primary focus this year was a boys group home caring for 8 amazing kids, in Chicago. Christmas cards from music fans around the globe were delivered in December along with some small goodies, a CD player and a few great cds for their rec room. We wanted to get something to the boys for Christmas and they were blown away that people around the world knew about them and took the time to send them good wishes.

In March, the KSS elves returned and delivered 4 guitars and 4 bongo drums (per their wishes) along with guitar bags, straps, and some extra strings. I will let Nancy and Duane share the details of their visit.


Soooo, the fundraiser was such a huge success that we have more gifts and donations and plan to donate to another very deserving organization that supports music for children in the Chicago area. As soon as we have plans in place I promise to keep everyone updated. We are also hoping to get the boys to a show this summer, perhaps one of the festivals. It would be so amazing if they could meet some of the fans and musicians who have supported KSS.

I want to thank everyone for their support in continuing to grow this important cause. A special shout out to Lisa, Jo, Dawn, and Nancy for gathering all the signatures on Christmas cards, Janet for all her work on the KSS website and Facebook, Rachel for helping with musician donations, Duane and Nancy for delivering the gifts and helping in getting donations. Thanks again to all the fans who made contributions; it has allowed us to purchase needed instruments and equipment. And a special thank you to Marty for putting up with me and all my crazy ideas , being a great adviser, and joining me in throwing this years Cyber Party in support of KSS.

So, is everyone ready for this year¡¦s KSS Project???

Hope to see you at a show this year,
Liz

[cfbj01]

Thanks for the update Liz

[dawn]

Thanks for that Liz - can't wait to hear what you've got in store for this year!

[BBE]

Bringing the guitars and drums to the boys was a wonderful experience.

They were all looking out the windows when we got there, and they were so excited that they were about bouncing off the walls! We brought in all the instruments, and demo'd them. Then the boys had at them, and it was a lovely din of sound.

Because they are wards of the state, we couldn't take photos or videos of them, but try to picture the scene in your mind....


The boys tried out all the instruments, and then Duane got on one of the guitars and led an impromptu jam.

We wrapped up the visit by all having lunch together at the house--some delicious Chinese takeout!


The boys said thank you many times to everyone who donated for getting them these instruments. The staff there said that their music lessons would be starting soon, and they look forward to the boys learning about positive self-expression and teamwork through music. What better gift could music fans give to the next generation?!

Best wishes to the boys as they start their musical journeys!

[blueeyz]

Thank you for the update, Liz and Nancy! I am so happy for the boys!

[bostongirl]

Hi Everyone!!!!

I promised I would update everyone on the disposition of the remaining donations from the Kids See Stars fundraiser. I also would like to share with you a wonderful event that I was able to attend Memorial Day weekend to see our donations being put to great use.

First the remaining donations:
To recap, we used some of the funds along with equipment donations to provide 8 boys at a group home in Chicago with their own instruments. Please see my previous post in this thread for those details.

I am happy to report that we donated the remaining equipment and funds to Rock for Kids. This is the charity organization that provides music programs to underprivileged kids across Chicago. They have teamed with us from the beginning providing advice and recommendations regarding deserving programs. We presented the following to RFK during a recent visit:

Sam Ash gift certificate
A check for 346.57 (remaining funds after equipment purchases)
Dean Electric guitar
Washburn Acoustic electric
Foot pedal for a bass drum
Snare drum
D'Addario Strings donated strings, guitar humidfiers, cleaning kits, and tuners (a really big box!!!)

Now for the best and most amazing part!! The boys from the group home have been taking lessons and are doing well. They invited the KSS team to join them at a cookout on Memorial Day weekend to celebrate a rec room they created from their garage in the backyard. As part of this celebration the boys put on a music show for us where they used their new guitars and drums and shared songs they had written!!!! We were not able to photograph the boy’s faces (state laws) but have some interesting shots and I have a couple of really short vids. I just accidently deleted the long one,,,sorry But it was a perfect sunny day and I felt so privileged to be part of something so, so special. Together, with your help, we have been able to have a positive impact on some very special children’s lives. I want to thank everyone again. I hope we will be able to continue. For me, what could be more important than working for the well-being of children.

I will work on downloading the vids this week and I think I have a pic or two. Nancy and Duane were also in attendance and have stories and pics to share.

Thanks again!!
Love you all,

Liz