The Flagstaff Blues and Brews Festival is back for their 9th year and for the second year in a row, the Flagstaff Unified School District (FUSD) Foundation (the Foundation) is once again the charitable partner to the Festival. The Festival takes place this June 9th and 10th at the Continental Driving Range in Flagstaff.
After a two year hiatus due to the global Covid pandemic, the Festival made its comeback to the Flagstaff area and for blues fans to enjoy live music again. Also it was a big year for the Foundation to make a comeback as their official charitable partner to raise money for the FUSD school district. And boy oh boy was it. They raised over $22,000 thanks to the generosity of the festival’s attendees and the proceeds from alcohol sales from the two-day long festival. The 501(c)3 Foundation was established in 2005, and since 2016, through the help of our fundraising, has raised nearly $105,000, impacting students in 15 schools and 90 different programs.
As a result of this incredible fundraising event and opportunity to showcase the Foundation and its impact on Flagstaff public schools, its teachers and especially its students, the Foundations’ board decided to establish a new grant fund. This fund was named after the Festival’s founder, Debbi Grogan, who passed away from pancreatic cancer. The Debbi Grogan Music Memorial Fund distributed all of that money raised, to FUSD music teachers and programs across the Fall of 2022. It truly changed the lives of so many of Flagstaff’s music education students.
Jacquie McGregor, music teacher at Mt Elden Middle School expressed her gratitude for the funding that came into her school and six others in the district “Being able to apply and receive the grant money from the music memorial fund has benefited my students, and others across the district, in a myriad of ways. From equipment, to sheet music, to performance experiences, our students are truly growing as musicians thanks to the this amazing investment in their future. On behalf of all the music teachers across the district, we are extremely grateful. And there’s still more we can do to enhance the experiences for all music students within FUSD.”
In the case of the music fund, music teachers around the district applied for the grant money for very specific needs to enhance or improve their music programs within the schools. The foundation was able to have a broad array of impact this past school year. Examples include paying for much needed equipment at Mt. Elden Middle School and sending a Cromer Elementary 3rd grade class to the Flagstaff Symphony where they played the music the class created.
Jennifer Grogan, the new 2023 Foundation Board President and Flagstaff Blues and Brews Festival owner and producer shared “Last year we were thrilled to have raised over $22,000 and establish the memorial fund in the name of my mom who built this festival. She loved music and the ability to enhance music education was a passion of hers. The Festival and the Foundation partnering together is the answer to expanding music programs within FUSD and we’re excited to do it again this year and raise even more money for our teachers and students.”
In addition to being the Festivals’ charitable partner, the Foundation Board members are seeking new ways to supplement all their programs including the music fund and the micro-grant fund which is focused on all innovative programs proposed through the grant application system. Help from outside sources, both individual and through partnerships with local businesses with aligned interests, can help increase the amount of money raised for FUSD educators and students. And it will enhance the projects in terms of longevity of certain programs and how many student lives that can be positively changed.
If you’re a business owner who would be interested in learning more about the types of projects and programs that are often funded through the foundation’s grant program, contact [email protected]. To learn more about the FUSD Foundation you can read about our history and programs overview online at www.fusdfoundation.org. Also follow us on our socials: LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
And mark your calendars for the Flagstaff Blues and Brews Festival on Friday June 9th and Saturday June 10th and help support music programs in our Flagstaff public schools. See the lineup and purchase tickets online: https://flagstaffblues.com.
Established in 2005, the Flagstaff Unified School District Foundation enhances the educational experience of FUSD students with the help and support of alumni and community resources. The Foundation is incorporated as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Leadership is provided by a volunteer board of directors made-up of dedicated community members. Since 2015, the Foundation has developed the Teacher Innovation Fund, the Micro Grant Fund, and Debbi Grogan Music Memorial Fund.
