Yamaha Corp. of America has joined forces with the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation is founded the “Share the Gift” campaign to help rebuild music education programs devastated by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Through this campaign, Yamaha will donate more than 1,300 instruments and music products, including keyboards, guitars, headphones and recorders, to schools in hurricane-ravaged communities in Texas and Florida.
From now through Dec. 31, Yamaha is asking anyone wishing to help those in need to post a photo or video of themselves explaining how music education has changed their lives. For every photo or video posted with the hashtag #YamahaSharetheGift on Twitter or Instagram, or video submitted to YouTube via the Share the Gift website, the company will donate a new instrument to Music Rising, the disaster relief fund of the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation. Music Rising helps schools to rebuild music programs that lose instruments and musical supplies due to natural disasters.
One critical area this campaign will impact is the Houston Independent School District, which lost $1 million worth of instruments across 13 campuses. Many schools have been closed indefinitely, or relocated temporarily to serve their students. The MHOF has been working closely with the district to determine the most critical areas of need to be addressed.
Additionally, many schools in southern Florida that have experienced sustained flood damage will benefit from the Share the Gift initiative.
“Like the rest of the world, we at Yamaha have been saddened to see the devastation left in the wake of both Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma,” said Tom Sumner, senior vice president, Yamaha Corp. of America. “Through our longstanding partnership with the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, we hope that our donation will help bring the benefits of music education, and the joy of music making, back into the lives of students as their communities continue to recover.”