Chuck Surack, Sweetwater founder and president, and his wife, Lisa, donated $500,000 and 100 orchestra and band instruments to the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Community Schools Foundation (FWCS), according to several news reports.
This donation kicks off a $3 million fundraising drive to support the FWCS b instrumental program.
According to the News-Sentinel, the donation announcement took place Wednesday in the auditorium at North Side High School in Fort Wayne. The Suracks and others who spoke were backed up by about 100 North Side and Lakeside Middle School band students, who stood behind them on the stage.
The b instrumental program provides musical instruments to students in seventh grade in FWCS schools, which the students can use through high school.
The program also intends to provide increased use of new technology in music classes, training for music teachers, and small group or individualized instruction and a summer camp for students.