HOPE TWINKLES!

. . .  began in 2017 as a way for music students to turn their music into donations for a cause. That year, Hurricane Maria wreaked havoc on Puerto Rico, and there was a huge cry for clean water.  I asked my students if anyone wanted to busk with me, to donate the proceeds to help, and almost all of my studio signed up!  Then came the horrific California Camp Fire in 2018, and we had the privilege of helping rebuild a music program at a burned-out academy.

In 2019, again the hurricanes brought devastation, and our efforts gave Grand Bahama Academy much needed scholarship, teacher salary, and rebuilding funds. The need hit much closer to home (literally) in 2020, when the Easter tornados pummeled the communities of Chattanooga, Ooltewah and Collegedale.  We couldn't do nothing, but we also couldn't meet like usual, thanks to COVID 19.  This meant we braved the virtual world for an online Hope Twinkles!  Students could submit a video of them playing, and we expected maybe an hour or two.  We were blown away by the almost 9 hours worth of submissions! 

2020 also had the distinction of having two Hope Twinkles! By December, our need to play together was just too great to ignore, as was the community's need for food. So "Hoope" Twinkles stepped in. While using hula hoops on the floor to mark safe distances, we put our music to work again, and partnered with the Samaritan Center to restock their food pantry shelves.  2021 saw us back in November, supporting the Zan Young School for Music and Hope, an inner-city ministry to provide music lessons to the under-served.

Thanks to the dedication and many hours of playing by these warm-hearted young people, we have raised over $28,400 for these various causes.