GiveNOLA Day is a 24-hour event hosted by the Greater New Orleans Foundation to inspire people to give generously to nonprofits making our region stronger, creating a thriving community for all. While we missed the deadline to participate this year, we thought we would take the day to reflect on everything our foundation has been able to give back to the community.
Our oldest child, Drew, died in his sleep on March 12, 2014. His death was attributed to SUDC (Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood). At Drew's memorial in March 2014, we asked that in lieu of flowers, people donate to the St. Anna's Arts for Kids Camp. The $10,000 it generated saved the summer program.
With the tireless support of family and friends, we started Drew’s Tunes for the two-fold purpose of providing musical instruments to young children and to support research on the cause and possible prevention of SUDC. Within the first year, Drew’s Tunes donated $64,000, helping 365 children in the state of Louisiana. Now we have donated over $200,000 to support music education and research for SUDC, with the majority impacting the children of New Orleans. Over 2,000 instruments have been purchased and donated to local music programs. Thousands of children have benefited from the musical resources (instruments, classes and performances) provided by Drew’s Tunes.
