Music loving kids in New Zealand need our help

[Arianddu]

As you should know, Christchurch, New Zealand has recently been devestated by earthquake. Friends of mine, Peter and Vicki, have children at Linwood College, and I'm hoping we can help.

Linwood College is a high school in a not particularly wealthy area. The school doesn't have a lot of money, but it does have a passionate dedication to its students, and a really good music program. So good that, despite none of the students having private music lessons and very few of them owning their own instruments, the school's orchestra was invited to go on a European tour. This is to culminate in a concert at Westminster Abbey on Anzac Day (for those of you who don't know, Anzac Day is the national day of rememberance in Australia and New Zealand, especially commemorating our war dead.) They've been fundraising like crazy for 2 years for this, and many of the kids took part time work specifically to save money for this trip.

They are due to leave on April 9th this year. And now this earthquake has closed their school, killed one of their school mates and left many of them homeless. But they've worked for this for so long, they are determined to go on this tour. Their major problem is that they are now NZ$50,000 short. They were to have held a gala concert to cover most of the remaining costs which had to be cancelled (there are no suitable venues still standing; they're struggling to find safe rehersal space), and the kids who had jobs are now without employment (their workplaces simply don't exist any more.)

Even though it's a different style of music than melodic rock, I'm hoping that we, as music lovers, can support these children who have worked so hard to make this tour happen. It would be adding insult to tragedy to see them fall at the last hurdle. For more information, and to make a donation, you can go to this website - http://webcentre.co.nz/linwoodcollegeorchestratour/ - and if you'd like to know more about the school itself, go here - http://www.linwoodcollege.school.nz/index2.php

I know there are some scams out there claiming to raise funds for various Christchurch 'charities' out there, but this is legit, and these kids have worked their butts off to make this tour happen.
Thanks for listening - now go do something (please!)

[Arianddu]

bumping in a good cause