To Live For and EmpowerME with LT Smooth!
This past May, we reached out to LT Smooth, an incredible musician with an inspiring story, and asked him if he would come to Maine. Our promise to him, besides paying for his travel expenses, was to raise money for the Heart of Music Academy, which LT just started building on the Big Island. The vision for this multiple Grammy nominated singer-song writer is to provide tuition-free music training to any child, but especially those going through significant challenges. You see, music is what saved LT’s life when he was 19, and now he wants to help others through his passion for music.
When LT said ‘yes,’ the first thing we did was contact our friends at EmpowerME, because we knew we needed help to make this a successful fundraising event for LT. Working with EmpowerME has been incredible. Such an awesome team!!! Check out their website for more info: empowerme2.org. Thank you so, so much Holly, Karen, and Maili! You are empowering!
What we didn’t know is how that this Heart of Music Academy fundraising event was going to be about much more than money. It was going to be about community, love, working together, faith, donations, volunteerism, overcoming last minute glitches, and so much more.
While LT was in Maine for only 3 days, his impact will be felt for a lifetime. This impact occurred because many people jumped in to make this project meaningful and heartfelt. If you would allow us a few lines, we would hope to be able to say thank you to everyone who helped. Also hoping to be able to show just how much love for life, music, and children LT Smooth carries in his heart through the images below (many images courtesy of Maili Lafayette).
We are grateful, beyond words, for LT’s presence, energy, music, story, inspiration, and love in Maine. We are blessed, as well, by the on-line contributions and anonymous donations, which have helped to add to the nearly $2000 we raised for LT’s Heart of Music Academy. Thank you to EVERYONE who came out to our events, and to the parents of our young performers who needed help with transportation after school, soccer, etc!
In addition, these are the people who helped to make LT’s visit as special and inspirational as it was. There were many volunteer hours and resources from the folks listed below that went into these events. Blessed and thankful!
Mahalo!
Producers:
To Live For, LLC: Donna Maria Bordeaux and Paul Knoll
EmpowerME (empowerme2.org): Maili Lafayette, Karen Lafferty, Holly Lancaster
Sponsors: Lafayette Hotels, Beachology, SaviLinx, Tourmaline Spring, & Roxanne York Real Estate
Campaign Leaders: Brian & Julia Komar
The Frontier (Brunswick): Sean Morin and staff
Performers: LT Smooth, Chris Kemp White, Jackie Ellsworth, Stephanie Ecker, Donna Maria Bordeaux
To Live For Volunteers: Autumn Brook, Cynthia Ufton, Justin Seamans (video)
Emcee: Paul Knoll
WCLZ (98.9): Brian Farrell & Randi Kirshbaum
Long Creek Youth Development Center: Stephanie Netton, Melanie Cardus, entire staff, residents
Maine Academy of Modern Music: Jeff Shaw, Signed Anonymous, Parents
Portland House of Music: Ken Bell, Frank Hopkins, Amy Lewis, & Samuel Grant Whitman
Signed Anonymous: Piper Shaw, Tori Stevens, Lila Happel, & Marisa Saedan AND PARENTS!!!
Xander Nelson: Xander Nelson, Chuck Martin, Kristian Terison, Manny Urgiles
Playing with LT Smooth: Andy Happel, Warren McPherson, Chuck Martin, Adam Frederick, Doug Spearman
EmpowerME Volunteer: Hannah Galeucia
Hula Dancer: Victoria Hula Hands
Emcee: Warren McPherson
Adviser: Warren McPherson
Adviser: Mary Allen Lindemann
Lodging: Ken Lafayette
If you would like to contribute to LT Smooth’s Heart of Music Academy,
view the campaign by clicking the image below:
