Bau’s Blaug
The latest news from “the Big Cheese” – Executive Director Bau Graves.
A Community In Need; A Community Indeed
The morning following Haiti’s earthquake, well before any of us was fully aware of the dimensions of the tragedy, veteran Old Town School teacher Steve Levitt proposed organizing “something to help those folks.” It happened in a routine bi-weekly staff meeting. We discussed parking issues and recycling, and Steve asked if we’d heard about the quake. Most of us had not. But within moments the wheels were turning: Steve began approaching other teachers, Director of Community Programs Mateo Mulcahy called the Haitian Congress, the event staff looked over the calendar and selected dates and times, and the offers of help poured in.
“What can I do to help?” was the question of the moment. Musicians and dancers from across Chicago asked to be included. Teachers volunteered their entire classes to perform. Classes took it as a challenge and went out to raise money from their friends to “sponsor” their performances. People offered to design posters, run the sound system, collect donations at the door, burn live-mix CDs for patrons, and clean up the mess afterwards. The organizational muscle came from deep within the community that is Old Town School, an instant and insistent response to a cataclysm far from the relative security of Chicago. It was about musicians, dancers, teachers, students, volunteers, and amazingly generous audience members stepping outside their ordinary weekly routines to make something special happen, to offer aid to people a thousand miles away.
Old Town School ended up producing not one but two earthquake relief benefits. The first one, at 909 W. Armitage, included twenty-four teachers and their ensembles in a marathon that lasted most of a day and a night. The second, at Lincoln Square, included nine bands from all over the world, including three local Haitian groups. Everything was donated. The benefits raised more than $16,000, which was given to the Haitian Congress to Fortify Haiti. They were both moving performances, but they were much more than that. They exemplified our community at its best – responsive, creative, personally committed. I thank all those who gave their time and talents to make a difference. But the palpable spirit in the room during those concerts offers a satisfaction that is beyond words.
Filed under: Uncategorized by Bau | February 17, 2010 | Comments (0)
