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The New England Brass Band's Partnership with
BRASS BAND AID

In January 2007, I travelled to England to take part in Brass Band Aid activities centered around the Mineworker's Open Brass Band Contest, held at the Butlin's Resort in Skegness. Among the things I did to benefit Brass Band Aid was to present Brass Band Aid with a check for £1,500 ($3,000) from the New England Brass Band, representing the funds we had rasied up to that point during the New England Brass Band's 2006-07 season. In the photo above, I am presenting our check to Briony Thompson, daughter of Bob Thompson, the founder of Brass Band Aid. We at the New England Brass Band were delighted that we reached our fund raising goal for Brass Band Aid so early in our season and thank our audiences for their enthusiastic response to our appeal for Brass Band Aid and the work they are doing in Ethiopia. Read more below to hear how the NEBB raisesd money for Brass Band Aid and click here for photos and commentary about my trip to England on behalf of Brass Band Aid.

The New England Brass Band, of which I am music director, has recently decided to embark on an historic partnership with Brass Band Aid, a global effort of brass bands who are joining together to help make poverty history. Initially sponsored and started by Britain's Stanhope Brass Band, Brass Band Aid has partnered with World Vision in the construction and equipping of a school in Adet, Ethiopia. To date, over $100,000 (£50,000 Sterling) has been raised by brass bands to support this project. Bands around the world have been contributing by giving charity concerts, conducting auctions and selling the Brass Band Aid CDs (discs that result in 100% of procedes from sales going to Brass Band Aid as they were recorded entirely through donated goods and services).

In keeping with its mission as an organized charity, the New England Brass Band, based in Boston, Massachusetts, decided to partner with Brass Band Aid during its 2006-07 season to support the ongoing efforts to build and equip the school in Adet, Ethiopia.

At the meeting of the band's board of directors on March 19, 2006, the NEBB board agreed to a tri-parte support of Brass Band Aid consisting of the following:

• NEBB Music Director Douglas Yeo and his wife Patricia (who plays second baritone in the NEBB) have purchased 100 Brass Band Aid CDs for a donation of $1000 to Brass Band Aid.

• The Yeos have donated the discs to the New England Brass Band which will sell the CDs at its concerts for $15.00 each, resulting in an additional donation to Brass Band Aid of $1500.

• For its 2006-07 season, the New England Brass Band will promote Brass Band Aid through a link on its website, the Brass Band Aid logo on all of its concert programs, and the distribution of a special flyer about Brass Band Aid and the Adet, Ethiopia project which will be distributed to audience members at the band's concerts. The NEBB is also making a commitment to raise additional funds for Brass Band Aid during its 2006-07 season by donating 20% of the sales of the band's own CDs as well as additional funds that come to the band by the way of free-will offerings and other means that result in donations to the band in excess of agreed upon concert fees. The NEBB commits that these monies to be donated to Brass Band Aid will be no less than $1500 for the 2006-07 season.

• $1000 for 100 Brass Band Aid CDs purchased by Douglas and Patricia Yeo has been paid to Brass Band Aid.

• $1500 for the sale of 100 Brass Band Aid CDs at New England Brass Band concerts will be paid by the NEBB when all CDs are sold, but no later than the conclusion of the band's 2006-07 season (June 2007).

• $1500 (or more) raised by the NEBB through its own CD sales and concert fees will be paid by the NEBB at the end of the band's 2006-07 season (June 2007).

The New England Brass Band, my wife and I were all very excited to be a part of this important effort to reach out and help those in Adet, Ethiopia while raising awareness of world-wide poverty through the medium of brass banding. By the end of our 2006-07 season, the New England Brass Band had raised $4,500 which was given to Brass Band Aid.

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The New England Brass Band logo is © The New England Brass Band. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
The Brass Band Aid logo is © Brass Band Aid (The Stanhope Band). All rights reserved. Used with permission.

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