ASCAP Action

ASCAP Relief Fund Generates $40,000

Directed to Music Related Causes

The ASCAP Employees for Relief Fund generated over $40,000 for hurricane assistance during the Fall of 2005. After careful review, the fund committee made contributions of $20,000 in September and October that met ASCAP's established criteria as follows: Causes and/or individuals that tend to slip through the cracks of traditional major charity giving; music related; and where relatively small donations can make a difference.

For the remaining balance, the committee focused on deserving individuals and on causes both outside and inside New Orleans that met our criteria. In December the fund committee made the following additional donations:

• $5,000 to the Long Beach, Mississippi High School band program. Their town was demolished and the school leveled. All their musical instruments were lost and with rebuilding a priority, no money was available for instrument replacement. The band director was ecstatic and told ASCAP this would allow them to reestablish their music program.
  
  
• $5,000 to the Loyola University Music Department. A special ASCAP Employees Relief Fund has been established at Loyola to help fund lost student music equipment. ASCAP has had a long relationship with Loyola and Dean Ed Kvet has expressed their great appreciation.
  
  
• $3,000 to an individual, Leah Rollins, whose possessions were washed out of her Mississippi coastal home. Ms. Rollins provided full time voice/piano instruction along with organizing children's musical theater productions in her home. But her uninsured grand piano was damaged in the hurricane. She wanted all ASCAP employees to know that she is very grateful for enabling her to continue her musical work in the community.

For all of these recipients, ASCAP employee cash was multiplied with the help of the area Guitar Center which is supplying the musical equipment at cost.

On September 21, 2005, ASCAP Employees in New York City presented a talent show that helped to raise money for hurricane relief. The funds generated from the show combined with donations that employees made to the fund amounted to more than $40,000.

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