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Frankfort Middle School’s Teal Steel Drum Band can safely say they are known throughout the world as they were featured in the February issue of the International Lion’s Club magazine — a publication distributed to all nations around the globe.
Mineral County Board of Education member Terry LaRue announced this achievement at the Feb. 19 board meeting, saying he would “like to applaud Roger (Henry), Fred (Kesner), and all who were involved.”
“This is great publicity for Mineral County Schools,” said LaRue.
Teal Steel held a concert at Frankfort High School in August of 2007 to raise funds for the “Sight First II Campaign” — a project in its third year with a goal to raise $150 million to benefit the blind and those with sight problems in every country of the world.
To date the campaign has raised $145 million and LaRue, a member of the Tri-Towns Lions Club, sees the goal becoming a reality this year.
The initial Sight First Campaign, held in the early 1990s, collected $200 million for the blind and sight impaired.
Don Cole, member of the Short Gap Lions Club and group coordinator over the Lion’s Clubs of Romney, Fort Ashby, Keyser, Ridgeley, and Short Gap, said this original fund had been “pretty much depleted.”
“We were building hospitals and eye clinics around the world,” said Cole.
The coordinator researched and discovered that just six U.S. dollars would be sufficient in saving another individual’s eyesight outside of the United States.
Making flyers and publishing advertisements about this fact, residents who attended the last year’s free Teal Steel performance made a free-will offering. The event netted $752.
This total was matched by $300 extra dollars donated by the Short Gap Lion’s Club, giving the Sight First Campaign II 1,000 extra dollars towards their goal.
“We saved about 122 people’s eyesight,” said Cole, who added that the Lion’s Club assists the blind and visually impaired in 146 countries around the world.
Having organized the Teal Steal concert, Cole said he is always searching for new fundraisers to raise additional revenue for the Sight First II campaign.
“We have fundraisers throughout the year, but I didn’t want to dip into those,” said Cole. “So I contacted the school and made arrangements for Teal Steel to perform.”
Kesner, who is the Band Director at Frankfort Middle, said he had no idea his band was featured in the Lion’s Club International publication.
“No I did not know,” said Kesner. “I was kind of excited that an international magazine had news about us and a picture of the band that goes all over the world. I thought that was pretty cool.”
Cole is not finished with his hard work and energetic efforts in helping the Lion’s Club reach their $150 million mark this year. He is organizing another free Teal Steel concert scheduled for Thursday, April 17, at 6:30 p.m. at Frankfort High School.
Residents are asked to make a free-will donation toward the Sight First II Ca0mpaign.
For additional information on the Short Gap Lion’s Club efforts in raising funds for the Sight First Campaign II, contact Cole at 304-738-9475.
Bobbie L. Carpenter can be reached at bobbie@newstribune.info
Frankfort Middle School’s Teal Steel Drum Band can safely say they are known throughout the world as they were featured in the February issue of the International Lion’s Club magazine — a publication distributed to all nations around the globe.
Mineral County Board of Education member Terry LaRue announced this achievement at the Feb. 19 board meeting, saying he would “like to applaud Roger (Henry), Fred (Kesner), and all who were involved.”
“This is great publicity for Mineral County Schools,” said LaRue.
Teal Steel held a concert at Frankfort High School in August of 2007 to raise funds for the “Sight First II Campaign” — a project in its third year with a goal to raise $150 million to benefit the blind and those with sight problems in every country of the world.
To date the campaign has raised $145 million and LaRue, a member of the Tri-Towns Lions Club, sees the goal becoming a reality this year.
The initial Sight First Campaign, held in the early 1990s, collected $200 million for the blind and sight impaired.
Don Cole, member of the Short Gap Lions Club and group coordinator over the Lion’s Clubs of Romney, Fort Ashby, Keyser, Ridgeley, and Short Gap, said this original fund had been “pretty much depleted.”
“We were building hospitals and eye clinics around the world,” said Cole.
The coordinator researched and discovered that just six U.S. dollars would be sufficient in saving another individual’s eyesight outside of the United States.
Making flyers and publishing advertisements about this fact, residents who attended the last year’s free Teal Steel performance made a free-will offering. The event netted $752.
This total was matched by $300 extra dollars donated by the Short Gap Lion’s Club, giving the Sight First Campaign II 1,000 extra dollars towards their goal.
“We saved about 122 people’s eyesight,” said Cole, who added that the Lion’s Club assists the blind and visually impaired in 146 countries around the world.
Having organized the Teal Steal concert, Cole said he is always searching for new fundraisers to raise additional revenue for the Sight First II campaign.
“We have fundraisers throughout the year, but I didn’t want to dip into those,” said Cole. “So I contacted the school and made arrangements for Teal Steel to perform.”
Kesner, who is the Band Director at Frankfort Middle, said he had no idea his band was featured in the Lion’s Club International publication.
“No I did not know,” said Kesner. “I was kind of excited that an international magazine had news about us and a picture of the band that goes all over the world. I thought that was pretty cool.”
Cole is not finished with his hard work and energetic efforts in helping the Lion’s Club reach their $150 million mark this year. He is organizing another free Teal Steel concert scheduled for Thursday, April 17, at 6:30 p.m. at Frankfort High School.
Residents are asked to make a free-will donation toward the Sight First II Ca0mpaign.
For additional information on the Short Gap Lion’s Club efforts in raising funds for the Sight First Campaign II, contact Cole at 304-738-9475.
Bobbie L. Carpenter can be reached at bobbie@newstribune.info
