Something I consider very important is giving something back to the community. Now, I haven't always felt this way, and used as an excuse that I didn't know what I could do. We can all do something if we put a bit of thought into it.
I donate my piping services each year for a select group of charities I feel a personal affinity toward. In each case, I came upon them not exactly by accident, but through serendipity or synchronicity. I know, two big words that simplified could just mean 'chance.' But I don't believe there are any accidents.
Camp Korey is a place for kids suffering from serious and life threatening illnesses to go and have some fun. It is one of Paul Newman's (pictured above at Camp Korey) Hole In The Wall Camps. Korey Rose was an inspiring young man who died from cancer in his teens. I played at his graveside service in Enumclaw in 2004. What blew me away about this service, is that usually a small gathering of family and friends of the deceased attend a graveside. This one was attended by well over 300 people. Korey's father, Tim Rose, a Senior Vice President at Costco, worked with Newman to purchase the old Carnation Farm from Nestle to create Camp Korey. It was a moving experience to visit there and pipe for Leanore Curran's Highland dancers to entertain the kids.
Back in the summer I was hired to play for a gentleman's 50th birthday party. 50! Wow! Now THAT'S old! When I arrived at the home where the party was I was introduced on the way in to the the son of the Half Centurian. M.R. was in one of those fully loaded motorized wheel chairs. He looked to me to be about 22 years old. What, I thought, befell this beautiful kid to put him this spot?
I had to go play, so I went around to the back yard, made my surprise entrance, congratulated the guest of honor at having endured a half century and played some more tunes to entertain the gathered friends and family. As I spoke with one guest, she told me that M.R. (Michael Ryan Pattison) had suffered a severe spinal injury a few years ago diving into shallow water in Lake Chelan, and that he had started a foundation to raise money to support therapy for those with spinal cord injuries. Are there really no accidents? We went and had another conversation with M.R. and immediately I decided to volunteer my services to play at the upcoming fund raising auction at the Glendale Golf Club in Bellevue, and offer myself as a live auction item. A no brainer.
A Cure Is Coming is the Michael Ryan Foundation's website. The auction raised some $70,000. The experience of being part of such an event is always gratifying, humbling and extremely rewarding. Try it sometime!
Again, how I came to be connected with the other organizations I support were completely random. With Kirkland Interfaith Transitions in Housing - KITH - the piper who normally played their event was ill. So I filled in and have played the 7 Hills of Kirkland bike ride every year since. I've also played their annual fund raising banquet the past 2 or 3 years. KITH provides housing to people facing homelessness on the Eastside. It's a worthy cause.
Same with The American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. I play at 2 or 3 Luminaria ceremonies at the relay each summer. All of us know someone who's had cancer. It's too damn common.
I met the wife of Chris Elliott, of CEF, a non-profit she started to help people with glioblastoma, a nasty brain cancer, at the birthday party of a friend of Chris's wife. In October of this year I played for their auction at the Newcastle Golf Club.
So if you're wondering where you can be of service, where you can chip in, where you can do something that will make a difference for someone whose life is not as easy as yours, these places are a good start. Or you may already have an organization you support; if so, good on ya. If not, it only takes the slightest glance around, or a seemingly 'random' moment to find a way to help out. You'll be amazed how gratifying it is.
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