More than two months after the “1000-year flood” swept away houses, bridges, roads and destroyed the infrastructure of the Town of Lyons, Colorado, we continue to be overwhelmed by the devastation of water. While our Lyons Elementary School and Lyons Middle/Senior High School have no known physical water damage, the lack of drinkable water, sewer, gas and electricity, along with many washed out ro
ads and bridges keep our families out of our schools and from going home. Our K-12 students are being educated at the Old Longmont High School (built in 1928) in Longmont until ‘further notice’. The devastating ongoing financial and emotional impacts on our school families are incomprehensible. The flood is also threatening to stop our 98 high school band and choir students from participating in a long-anticipated trip to Grand Junction for the Colorado West Music Festival. April 2014 was the “trip year” for the groups, but due to financial hardships on the students’ families, displaced or not, the decision was made to cancel the two- night trip due to lack of fundraising opportunities in our community as people are literally rebuilding their houses and lives, one brick at a time. However, a committee of music parents from throughout the school district is asking the larger community to help raise the needed $34,300 to fund the trip and help the Lyons Middle Senior High School music programs. We want to keep the hopes, dreams, and music alive in the hearts of our students and families fighting for a comeback. With your help, one note ($1, $5, $10, $20, $100) at a time, we can fund the band and choir trip and start to restore some of the music programs for our Lyons students and families. Like each individual raindrop that steadfastly fell from the sky to overflow our rivers and dams that devastated our special close knit community, we believe we can collect these notes to begin to restore music to our Lyons students and families. If you or a group of individuals (work, book club, friends, families, band, chorale, orchestra, bake and/or garage sales, “flood bucket”, use your imagination, etc.) can sponsor one student for the trip ($350), it would be incredible. Donations can be sent to Lyons Band c/o Kim Fong, Paralegal, The Samson Law Firm, P. Box 1079, Longmont, CO 80502-1079. We thank you for your support, and want to let you know that with your help for every note and our hard work, the music of Lyons will be back -- better and stronger than ever. Contact: Kim Fong, Lyons MSHS Band/Choir Fundraising Chairperson, [email protected]
