‘Sing It to Me Santa’ a Win For Teachers, Community
by Tim Wenger
AEG Live held a benefit for the non-profit Teach For America at the Gothic Theatre on December 19, and the event was one of the most exciting of the holiday season and hopes to become a holiday tradition. Dubbed “Sing It To Me Santa,” the night was hosted by Libby Anshutz, Mike Fries, Governor John Hickenlooper, Senator Mike Johnston, as well as other speakers, and sought to bring together Colorado musicians, politicians, philanthropists and the general public in an effort to say thanks to the community’s teachers.
The evening featured musical performances by Something Underground, Neyla Pekarak of The Lumineers, Ryan Chrys, The Moderators, and Tracksuit Wedding. “I wanted a place a place for my band (Tracksuit Wedding) to perform, and I wanted to invite our friends Something Underground,” Anshutz says. “Our bands have played together a lot. I put together this party and it’s like, we have all these people that can be on the same stage and share equipment, and just rock out a whole bunch of songs together.”
The Gothic was the perfect fit for the evening. The groups and their fans are familiar with the venue, and the large stage provides plenty of room for speakers as well as the musicians and their gear. “I had been talking to Scott Campbell about putting together a show using one of our venues,” Anshutz says. She wanted an event that was not going to scare away the general public by coming across as too formal or too expensive, and thought that doing a show with local musicians at a casual venue like the Gothic Theatre was perfect. “I’ve been in the philanthropic community, from the foundation side, for many, many years through what my family does in the community. I am aware of a lot of non-profits that are out there and a lot of them are kind of tired of fundraisers that are black tie galas, that price people out of the events that can’t afford them. I wanted an event that we were not going to price high, not try to raise a ton of money but still see what we can do.”
Teach For America was chosen as the beneficiary for the event, with funds going to help with their Colorado operations. “While Colorado has the third highest percentage of adults with college degrees, our state ranks at the very bottom for high school graduates continuing to college,” says TFA Managing Director of Regional Communications Sharise Darby. “This extreme divide begins early within our education system and disproportionately affects disadvantaged students. In fact, Colorado’s affluent students are three times more proficient than those growing up in low-income communities and eight times more likely to graduate from college. Teach For America is committed to working in partnership with communities in Colorado to help ensure all children will have an equal opportunity to attain an excellent education. Educational equity can become a reality for all students in Colorado, despite their zip code, ethnicity and socio-economic status.”
Specifically, to benefit the community not only in Colorado but around the country, TFA recruits young professionals and trains them to be stewards for progressing education among all walks of life within the communities they serve. “Teach For America–Colorado partners with Adams 14, Aurora Public Schools, Denver Public Schools, Harrison School District 2 in Colorado Springs, Sheridan Public Schools, and Pueblo City Schools (D60),” says Darby. “We look forward to continuing our district partnerships and our work of recruiting, training and providing ongoing support for corps members in Colorado for the 2015-16 school year.”
Anshutz felt that TFA was a strong partner to have benefit from this event, and that the teachers they work with would view it as a great kick-off party for their holiday break. “Teach For America is an organization that I have known for quite a while,” says Anshutz. “They were comfortable to be brought in on that type of an event. The thing that was most appealing to me about them as a charity was that they have the reach to teachers, and can spread the word to teachers who on that Friday will finish teaching for the semester and go on holiday, and I wanted to make it a celebration for them.”
Anshutz brought in sponsors to purchase tickets to the event to be donated to teachers in the community. “It’s a combination of, we’re selling tickets, but we’re also finding sponsors to buy them, and it’s happening,” Anshutz says. “If this is successful, I want it to be an annual party that the Denver music scene looks forward to at holiday time.”
Find out more about TFA, or make a donation directly to the organization, at www.teachforamerica.org. Pick up tickets to the event at http://www.axs.com/events/254800/sing-it-to-me-santa-colorado-rocks-for-teachers-tickets.
Category: Buzzworthy
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