Spotlight on: Paying it forward

An ongoing concern of any not-for-profit must be the bottom line – can we earn enough money through grants, donations and creative fundraising to keep our doors open and our programs top-notch. Last month we looked at the creative ends our Merc friends went to in order to purchase our concert grand piano. This month let’s talk about how other individuals and groups have rented The Merc facility in order to help other not-for-profit organizations gain valuable exposure and even funds.
         
First for exposure, once he was home Dana Visalli wanted to share his experience of serving with an Iraq Peace Team. He rented The Merc space to give local people an idea of what our brothers and sisters in that part of the world are like by sharing slides and stories of his adventures there.
 
In 2010 then Superintendent of Schools Mark Wenzel performed an evening of popular songs in The Merc, donations benefitted the not-for-profit Public School Funding Alliance.
 
Local musicians Terry Hunt, Lynette Westendorf, and others have performed numerous evenings of music in The Merc venue, the proceeds benefitting our sister arts organization Cascadia.
         
For several years now, Michael Brady has rolled out our grand piano to entertain us with his music and his knowledge of composers. The funds taken in from these performances have been donated to another valley not-for-profit such as Room One or the Cove.
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Photo used with permission of the Methow Valley News.

Two creative LBHS students deserve special recognition for their far-reaching plans to pay it forward. In 2013-2014 Nate Hirsh earned permission to do a year-long independent study on the global water crisis. He identified a not-for-profit organization to work with and named his project FLOW: Fulfilling Lives, Optimizing Water. A musician, Nate composed and presented to an audience six original songs inspired by what he learned about people living without clean water. He rented The Merc, played his songs and hoped to raise $5000 which would provide clean water for 200 people.

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Photo used with permission of the Methow Valley News.

Hannah Hogness taught English in Phom Penh when her family spent time in Cambodia, her father teaching medicine. From that experience she learned how little access students had to any science learning, and that their teachers had no chance to study science. When the authorities at the school where Hannah had taught explained that for $500 they would send a teacher away for training in science, Hannah decided to make raising that money her senior project. She chose to direct a play John Lennon and Me, stage it at he Merc, all proceeds going to the school in Cambodia. In order to pay for rental of the Merc, Hannah undertook a number of volunteer Merc jobs to meet her obligation.
 
Our performance space puts us in an optimal position to help people help their favorite not-for-profit.
 
CHEERS TO 25 YEARS!
 
Jane Hill

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