FREEHOLD — The music program in the Freehold Borough K-8 School District will benefit from the generosity of the community this school year.
Students who are enrolled in music classes and the band program will have a new selection of instruments to play because of the support of the Freehold Borough Educational Foundation and concerned individuals and corporations.
According to Jean Holtz, who chairs the educational foundation, Barry Tobias, of Manalapan, who is the administrator of the Peter J. Sharp Foundation, New York, offered the educational foundation a challenge grant if it could raise money to purchase musical instruments and related equipment for 2011-12.
Working against a deadline, the educational foundation raised $8,200 and Tobias provided the promised maximum grant of $12,000, for a total benefit of $20,200 to borough youngsters.
The educational foundation received support fromthe Freehold Rotary Club, the Freehold Borough PBA, local Optimist Clubs, the Graeme Preston Foundation for Life, the Gordon and Llura Gund Foundation, local businesses and private contributors.
In addition to support from the Peter J. Sharp Foundation, assistance was received fromTobias and his wife, Star, and from the Evelyn Sharp Foundation, CentraState Healthcare System, OceanFirst Bank, Merrill Lynch and PNC Bank.
Holtz said Tobias referred the educational foundation to the National Education Music Company, Warren, which offered outstanding value on instruments and helped the educational foundation increase its buying power.
Instruments for music classes and school bands will be purchased. Among the purchases will be violins for children who wanted to learn that instrument last year, when there were not enough violins to meet the demand.
“What Star and Barry have done for us is tremendous,” Holtz said. “In addition to raising funds for us, they have raised awareness of our foundation, even attracting new members for us, and we now have more donors to cultivate over the long term.”
Educational foundation member Lynn Reich said she was “proud, excited and exhilarated” with the results of the effort that saw the local organization raise money on its own and receive support from the Peter J. Sharp Foundation through the matching grant Tobias offered.
“It has been so gratifying that when we asked for funds for the children of Freehold Borough, no one said no to us,” Reich said, adding that the project was a community effort. “We had a very good cause and we thank Star and Barry Tobias for giving the foundation this challenge and motivating us to do what we had to do.”
Eric Gross, who is an instrumental music teacher and the school district’s director of bands, said he is looking forward to providing the new instruments and equipment to his students.
“I couldn’t be more excited,” he said. “These instruments and equipment are things we have needed for years, but could not afford. This grant will help us to sustain and continue the growth of our music program.”
He said the pupils and their parents are looking forward to receiving the new instruments.