gunderstone
05-03-2007, 12:29 PM
The following article was published in the paper this morning (Thursday May 3rd) and I am copying it below for convenience
I think that it’s extremely unfortunate that some lazy scumbag helped themselves to money that clearly didn't belong to them and from which many folks worked very hard to earn and many others freely donated their time to the cause.
I don't even care if the perpetrator had some valid reason (in their mind) for doing it - there is simply no excuse for it
With direct respect to Nicole St. Clair, Scott McNamee, the band Useless Knowledge and all the others who helped out with the event (sorry if I missed some of you – I don’t know any of you personally) thank you for your efforts in trying to raise these funds for your charity - it is fantastic to know that younger people still care enough to think of others and try to help - something you see less from older folks who often have more ability to make a difference but do not. Please don't let this negative instance stop you from trying to raise additional funds to replace the stolen ones and from doing events like this and helping others in the future.
It takes people of strong character to step forward and say “I am going to give / do something for someone other than myself” and there are not enough of them around these days – it’s way too easy to go with the flow and just tend to yourself and not get involved.
Keep swimming upstream and against the tide – you’ll find it’s very rewarding and satisfying and there are others out there that will help you; they tend to follow more often than not so encourage them and keep leading them
To all 15,000 or so households in Wallingford (specifically, but I am sure others from Meriden and other areas would be welcome too) I challenge all of you to buy one less gourmet coffee this week and bag one lunch and donate $10.00 to Autism Speaks.
I am a realist and understand it most likely would not happen but if everyone did this it would make the total donation $150,000.00 – wouldn’t that be a great ending to this story? So let’s scrape the loose change out of our cars and off the tops of our dressers and right this wrong as a community.
I’ve already done my part – so how about you?
Funds from autism benefit concert stolen
By George Moore
Record-Journal staff
WALLINGFORD — A group of teenagers banded together for a good cause, holding a local benefit concert to raise money for autism research.
The concert was a success, but the $1,500 raised was stolen.
Eighteen-year-old Sheehan High School student Nicole St. Clair coordinated a concert on Saturday to benefit Autism Speaks, an organization that raises funding for autism research.
About 150 people attended the show at the Knights of Columbus building at 279 Quinnipiac St. to see the lineup of local bands, raising about $1,500 in ticket sales.
When volunteers left the collection box unattended for a few minutes, St. Clair said, someone ripped off the $1,500. The loss was a devastating blow to volunteers.
“We were all crying and screaming,” St. Clair said. “If it was my money I wouldn’t care as much, but we got it for autistic kids, so we really did care.”
Volunteers announced the theft over the microphone, offering not to press charges if the thief returned the money, St. Clair said, but no one came forward.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said Scott McNamee, a friend of St. Clair’s whose band Useless Knowledge played at the show. “It’s a benefit show; all the money is going to charity and someone ran off with it. Especially knowing how hard she worked on this, it was sad.”
After hearing about the theft, St. Clair said, the audience came together and managed to raise another $900 through out-of-pocket donations. St. Clair said she will put that money toward a future autism benefit concert in June.
St. Clair’s mother, Maria Dwyer, arrived at the show after the theft occurred.
“All the kids felt so bad so they started passing the box around,” she said. “One lady threw a check in there for $100.”
Dwyer said she hopes the community will come together to support autism research following the incident. St. Clair helped organize an earlier autism benefit concert in December. An important part of the effort, she said, is to raise awareness about autism. Police did not return calls seeking comment on the Saturday incident.
gmoore@record-journal.com (203) 317-2275
I think that it’s extremely unfortunate that some lazy scumbag helped themselves to money that clearly didn't belong to them and from which many folks worked very hard to earn and many others freely donated their time to the cause.
I don't even care if the perpetrator had some valid reason (in their mind) for doing it - there is simply no excuse for it
With direct respect to Nicole St. Clair, Scott McNamee, the band Useless Knowledge and all the others who helped out with the event (sorry if I missed some of you – I don’t know any of you personally) thank you for your efforts in trying to raise these funds for your charity - it is fantastic to know that younger people still care enough to think of others and try to help - something you see less from older folks who often have more ability to make a difference but do not. Please don't let this negative instance stop you from trying to raise additional funds to replace the stolen ones and from doing events like this and helping others in the future.
It takes people of strong character to step forward and say “I am going to give / do something for someone other than myself” and there are not enough of them around these days – it’s way too easy to go with the flow and just tend to yourself and not get involved.
Keep swimming upstream and against the tide – you’ll find it’s very rewarding and satisfying and there are others out there that will help you; they tend to follow more often than not so encourage them and keep leading them
To all 15,000 or so households in Wallingford (specifically, but I am sure others from Meriden and other areas would be welcome too) I challenge all of you to buy one less gourmet coffee this week and bag one lunch and donate $10.00 to Autism Speaks.
I am a realist and understand it most likely would not happen but if everyone did this it would make the total donation $150,000.00 – wouldn’t that be a great ending to this story? So let’s scrape the loose change out of our cars and off the tops of our dressers and right this wrong as a community.
I’ve already done my part – so how about you?
Funds from autism benefit concert stolen
By George Moore
Record-Journal staff
WALLINGFORD — A group of teenagers banded together for a good cause, holding a local benefit concert to raise money for autism research.
The concert was a success, but the $1,500 raised was stolen.
Eighteen-year-old Sheehan High School student Nicole St. Clair coordinated a concert on Saturday to benefit Autism Speaks, an organization that raises funding for autism research.
About 150 people attended the show at the Knights of Columbus building at 279 Quinnipiac St. to see the lineup of local bands, raising about $1,500 in ticket sales.
When volunteers left the collection box unattended for a few minutes, St. Clair said, someone ripped off the $1,500. The loss was a devastating blow to volunteers.
“We were all crying and screaming,” St. Clair said. “If it was my money I wouldn’t care as much, but we got it for autistic kids, so we really did care.”
Volunteers announced the theft over the microphone, offering not to press charges if the thief returned the money, St. Clair said, but no one came forward.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said Scott McNamee, a friend of St. Clair’s whose band Useless Knowledge played at the show. “It’s a benefit show; all the money is going to charity and someone ran off with it. Especially knowing how hard she worked on this, it was sad.”
After hearing about the theft, St. Clair said, the audience came together and managed to raise another $900 through out-of-pocket donations. St. Clair said she will put that money toward a future autism benefit concert in June.
St. Clair’s mother, Maria Dwyer, arrived at the show after the theft occurred.
“All the kids felt so bad so they started passing the box around,” she said. “One lady threw a check in there for $100.”
Dwyer said she hopes the community will come together to support autism research following the incident. St. Clair helped organize an earlier autism benefit concert in December. An important part of the effort, she said, is to raise awareness about autism. Police did not return calls seeking comment on the Saturday incident.
gmoore@record-journal.com (203) 317-2275