By Jill Fox
Safe Schools For Alex is starting a new initiative aimed at helping middle students in need amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In cooperation with the School of Rock Boca Raton, the organization is launching “Let the Music Play On!” to help students in low-income communities that are not receiving the personalized instruction they were before the COVID-19 restrictions.
Safe Schools For Alex was formed after Alex Schachter, 14, was killed in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre on February 14, 2018. Their mission is to provide school safety and resources so all children can learn in a safe environment.
Alex Schachter
His father, Max Schachter, who created the nonprofit, said the goal is for this initiative is to foster a love of music while having a positive impact on each of the students’ lives, just as it did for Alex.
“We are worried the coronavirus pandemic will lead children to put their instruments down and never picking them up again,” the Coral Springs resident said.
This is why Safe Schools For Alex is donating $10,000 to Title I schools to provide 75 students with free one-on-one private online music lessons for one month.
Dr. Washington B. Collado, Principal at James S. Rickards Middle, the pilot school for the program, said, “I hope that Alex’s love for music is remembered in every note that will be played.”
Alex first fell in love with playing the trombone through online music lessons he received while in the middle school band. He played for the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Eagle Regiment Marching Band when they won their first state title in 2017.
In the future, the organization hopes to expand the program to other low-income communities affected by the pandemic.
“Music and being in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School marching band were a profoundly positive experience for Alex,” said Max, “We hope our “Let the Music Play On!” initiative will instill the same love for music that Alex had.”
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Author Profile
- Jill Fox is an Emmy Award-winning writer and producer. She has worked on the public relations side as well as the television side of marketing for NBC Universal. A true Floridian, Fox grew up in Ormond Beach and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Advertising from the University of Miami. During college, Fox enjoyed working at Walt Disney World. She loves living in Parkland with her husband, Brian and their two children, Madden, 10 and Randi, 7.
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