Katie's Music Wish Foundation seeks donations of violins, cellos and string instruments

Warwick — Students in the Warwick Valley High School Orchestra program have recently become involved with a special foundation organized in September to help needy students obtain string instruments. The foundation, Katie’s Music Wish, is the brainchild of the High School’s Orchestra Director Keely Blaikner. While visiting a friend in upstate New York, Blaikner realized the need for ways to provide musical instruments for students in families facing financial difficulties. In those cases, music lessons and musical instruments are often far down on the list of priorities. Her friend, for example, could not afford to purchase or rent a violin for his daughter Katie, who desperately wanted to learn to play the violin. A few weeks later Blaikner found a violin in need of repairs. After having it repaired, she drove back to her friend’s house and presented the restored instrument to a very appreciative young lady. “As a service learning project,” said Blaikner, “the Katie’s Wish Foundation is a wonderful opportunity for our students to give something back to a community that does so much for them and to help others who share their love of music.” The students in the High School Orchestra program will be involved in almost every aspect of the foundation including writing press releases and creating fliers soliciting donations of violins, violas, cellos and string basses that are no longer used and may be just gathering dust in a closet or basement. In addition to collecting instruments, the student volunteers will raise funds, learn how to make simple repairs under the guidance of professionals and possibly provide some coaching for the recipients. Essential information To find out more or to donate a used string instrument to Katie’s Music Wish e-mail Keely Blaikner at: kblaikner@wvcsd.org.