Moose Jaw Shrine Club made an extremely generous donation of 25 instruments to A.E. Peacock Collegiate on May 15.
The instruments were gratefully received by the students and as soon as they were in their possession, the students began trying them out and asking the band teacher various questions. Some of these instruments included tubas, trumpets, clarinets, French horns, and many others.
"With band, it is unfortunate; there are a lot of students who don't have their own instruments, meaning they'll have to use rentals. Having this donation of instruments means a lot to these students, especially those who may not be able to afford the fees,” said Peacock Collegiate Band Teacher Casey Ling. “Being able to have band and music more accessible to them is just huge."
The Moose Jaw Shrine Club acquired these instruments from other Shriner Units that have aged out of a military band, a marching band, or the oriental band. They decided the Public School Board was the best place to utilize the donations.
"This is definitely a significant gift. Purchasing these brand new, you'd be looking at $1000 plus for each of these instruments,” said Darran Teneycke, Superintendent of School Operations. “We have a number of students who can't afford (an instrument) so we have a supply of them, but anytime we can add to that supply, it just gives more students the opportunity to be involved with the band."
The Shriners is a non-profit social organization. The brotherhood is dedicated to family and ongoing personal growth and is committed to caring for children and families in need. This fraternity believes that fun is their cornerstone and philanthropy is their keystone to fellowship. The Moose Jaw Shrine Club has various units of interest that members are able to join.
"As Shriners, we raise money for our hospitals. We have 30 hospitals in North America... and we have raised over a billion and a half dollars,” said Gord Shibbits, President of the MJ Shriners. “This may not have anything to do with that, but it shows you our intensity for children. This is, to me, as important as anything, (such as) teaching them a cultural skill.
’It is fantastic!"
For more information on the Moose Jaw Shrine Club and its ongoings, you can visit their website at https://moosejawshrineclub.wildapricot.org/.
