Moving Beyond Weariness to $100,000

Her sophomore honor's project was entitled, "Raising money for a benefit concert". Nice on paper, but what a tremendous undertaking. Receiving encouragement from her mother, Lori, Jennifer began working out the details. She wanted to raise funds for arts program for ALL the Portland, Oregon public schools.

Early on, she chose her target – top performer Jackson Browne. She composed a three page, double spaced letter. Jennifer had seen him do a benefit concert in Hawaii following the Iniki Hurricane before moving to Portland. In her letter to him she wrote:

...It's so difficult to be a teenager these days... One of the many issues concerning me is the lack of support for public schools, especially in the music and the arts... everyone should be able to have the opportunity to learn, to explore, to expand their consciousness – yet funding for public education gets cut daily. The high school I go to is the same school where they filmed the movie, 'Mr. Holland's Opus' – I find it sad and ironic that just as in the movie – the funding is running out and the first to go are the arts...

I want to do something that makes a statement as well as something to contribute... Which brings me to the reason I am writing you. I want to develop a benefit concert for the art, music and drama programs in the Portland Public School District... I envisioned a concert where ALL services are donated and it's run by us, the kids.

I would love for you to be in the main event of the concert ... You are known throughout the world and many people look up to you as a role model... Portland is a town that loves Jackson Browne... I'd be so appreciative for any part you care to help with.

The arts and drama mean a lot to me. I don't want to see them slip away. As students... we really need them to foster our growth, to develop critical expansive thinking that just doesn't lie in some text book. Sometimes it is these 'electives' classes that keep students in school. They allow the students to be themselves, to express themselves freely. I don't want to lose them, none of the students want to lose them. I hope this touches you as it does me.

I hope to hear from you soon. Thank you for your time to read and listen.

Aloha,

Jennifer Fletcher

She waited, but didn't just sit around. Jennifer began contacting businesses that could support the concert, a large enough venue in which to hold the concert – publicity, radio station support and just about every other contact she could make. Many were cool to her idea, but that would soon change.

A response on her telephone answering machine was the reason. She thought some joker friend was acting like he was Jackson Browne returning her call. But then she realized it WAS him.

I was jumping up and down and screaming, 'It's him, it's him!!' He called back later that evening and we talked about why I felt the arts were so important. He didn't really commit himself at first, but later his manager called and said Jackson really wanted to do the concert.

In the end, a sold out house plus numerous donations amounted to $100,000 raised for the Arts Alive! program of the Portland Public School Foundation.

A close friend, Ian Schaughnessey, offered this observation.

I had a driver's license, Jennifer didn't. So I was her driver until the last two days before the concert when it became really hectic... I think it's really amazing on Jennifer's part that she was able to put together something so huge and complex as a benefit concert. I was in awe that the concert really was happening. The last 48 hours Jennifer, her mother and I dedicated all our time to pulling it off. I'm amazed that it happened – and it was a really good concert!

Last Easter I was baptized and confirmed in Westminster Presbyterian Church. The youth group was a great support group. Lisa Stine, our youth advisor, was awesome. She was always there to talk to if I was frustrated or emotionally crazy. Both she and the group were great.

While Jennifer was too busy to take a big part in the party, she did help with the planning. And the night of the party she brought cup cakes by for the other kids to show her support even though she was terribly busy with the concert plans. She is a very mature, neat person who doesn't take easy answers for her questions on faith and life.

All because Jennifer personalized a cause and overcame many obstacles to express her belief in action. Not bad for a young woman who is interested in horticulture as a profession. But don't count her out in other fields of endeavor especially where commitment can be energized. And yes, she's working on some other events for 1999!

Bud Frimoth is an active member of Westminster Presbyterian Church, retired Presbyterian pastor and hospital clown from Portland OR. For information about trying this in your community, feel free to contact Bud.

Check out each of Bud's stories ...
The Cardiac Ward -- A Place for Clowns?: 
                Bud and his wife as bring hope and good cheer.
Moving Beyond Weariness to $100,000: 
                A youth in Bud's church brings hope to the community.
A Walking Good Friday Service
                An ecumenical service which could be a model for visiting sites-of-need in your city.
A Service of Healing And Wholeness
                A mainline church reclaims its heritage of healing.
A Night in Hangzhou
                Walk through the streets of this city in China as Bud encounters kids begging to belong.
Is There Any Hope for Me?
                Clowning at a homeless shelter with free hug certificates.