Shred the Love
Music Compound’s ‘Shred the Love’ fundraiser raises nearly $5,300. This is an annual event.
Check to Sam and Jenny on the Suncoast View talking about the event.
Concert organized by students raises $5,288 for scholarships for area music school
SARASOTA, FL – During Music Compound’s “Shred the Love” event on January 15, student organizers exceeded their fundraising goal of $5,000, bringing in $5,288 to support scholarships for area youth who have lost a loved one to COVID-19 or whose parents have lost their jobs due to the pandemic.
This event, a partnership with local not-for-profit Every Child, Inc. was organized by middle and high school students, led by homeschool student Sam Stahlmann. “Shred the Love” was originally started as an IB project at Riverview High School to support career readiness, enable students to learn how to plan and implement an event, and see the value of charitable works. The inaugural Shred the Love concert in 2018 funded the purchase of ukuleles for children with cancer; in 2019, the event funded music programs at Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County and Children First.
Committee members were Eden Stahlmann (homeschool student), Hailey Renner (10th grader at Cardinal Mooney), Macy Young (State College of Florida), Asher Voros, and Caitlyn Healey (homeschool student).
The Ruckus Late Night’s featuring Alex Han (Han is a Grammy-nominated saxophonist and composer from New York City) headlined the benefit. Other artists and groups that performed included solo artists Stahlmann (who also emceed) and Aimee Mari-Anne, and bands Craig the Skeleton, Fans Oxidation, Southbound, and Unspoken! There was also food, art projects for younger guests, and a silent auction in support of the cause.
Music Compound is grateful to area organizations and businesses that contributed food and/or silent auction donations, including Big Cat Habitat, Big Top Brewing Company, Chick-fil-A, Der Dutchman, First Watch, Forever Living, Gecko’s Grill & Pub, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Oak & Stone, Painting with a Twist, PDQ, The Players Centre for Performing Arts, PRP Wine, Sarasota Pride, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and Zoom Tan as well as numerous individual donors.
Music Compound owner Jenny Townsend reports that a number of the music school’s member families have suffered losses due to COVID-19 and/or challenges due to its financial impacts. In 2021, she funded more than $10,000 in scholarships to ensure that students could continue to benefit from classes and programs.
“These kids have suffered through extraordinary difficulties, from the loss of educational and social opportunities to the heartbreaking loss of loved ones,” Townsend said. “It was inconceivable to me – even as we were fighting to keep the business above water through the worst of the pandemic – that we would turn our backs on students whose financial circumstances had changed. I’m so proud of the event committee, just kids themselves, who are working to ensure that their peers who are struggling can continue to enjoy the pursuit of music.”
Founded 20 years ago by Sarasota philanthropist Judy Alexander, Every Child, Inc. has given out thousands of backpacks with school supplies, distributed thousands of holiday gifts, provided groceries for hundreds of families, distributed thousands of books, and worked on numerous other projects with other local agencies. Every Child, an all-volunteer group, contributed nearly $3,000 in scholarship funds for Music Compound students in 2021.
Lineup Included:
6:00 PM Doors Open, Mix, Mingle and Donate
6:25 PM Sam opens the show with a performance
6:30 PM Southbound, MC Adult Band
7:00 PM Aimee, MC Student
7:15 PM Craig the Skeleton, MC Youth Band
7:35 PM The Amazing You’s, MC Youth Band
7:50 PM Intermission, Mix, Mingle, and Donate
8:15 PM Fans Oxidation, MC Students
8:30 PM Headliner, Ruckus Featuring Alex Han
8:50 PM Winners and Funds raised announced
Our non-profit partner is Every Child, Inc.
Every Child, Inc. has formed almost 20 years ago. With the help of many angels, Every Child, Inc. has been able to give out thousands of backpacks filled with school supplies, thousands of holiday gifts, provided groceries for hundreds of families, distributed thousands of books, sponsored the Cinderella and Her Prince Project, the Cinderella Project Runway and worked on countless other projects with many other local agencies, such as “Welcome Baby”, which provided New Moms with a bag filled with baby essentials for their newborns through the Health Department.
