A pair of Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School Music Program alumni created a special guitar to help raise money to build an arts centre in Northern Alberta.
Jennah Salls and Jazdn Moore supported the Clayton Bellamy Foundation for the Arts by building an electric guitar made from local wood in Central Alberta. Proceeds from the sale supports the building of an arts centre in Lakeland, northeast of Edmonton.
The guitar project began following a combination of everything we’re passionate about. Being such big fans of music and its impact, alongside our goal to give back to our community as much as possible, once we discovered the Clayton Bellamy Foundation, the vision all came together,” said Salls.
“We wanted to build this guitar to have the experience under our belt and since it had so much potential to be a part of something bigger, it was a no brainer to tie it into the Clayton Bellamy Foundation.”
Construction of the guitar began under the mentorship of local luthier David Gilmore, owner of Gilmore Guitars.
Moore said: “We then decided to kick it up a notch by starting a fundraiser around our community with the hopes of raising as much money as possible for the foundation’s cause.”
The guitar was auctioned off at the Clayton Bellamy Foundation For The Arts event in Bonnyville earlier this month.
“This fundraiser also was designed to try and raise the winning bid to be able to bring the guitar back to Red Deer considering that the auction for the foundation takes place outside of our community,” said Salls.
“Our mission was to get it into the hands of other youth by donating it to the LTCHS music program as alumni. To further support Clayton’s amazing objective, we also decided to put in a custom-made coffee station, coffee table and end table set as an auction item.
“It’s just been an incredible journey building this guitar and dreaming bigger and bigger as each day goes by and we simply want to make the biggest impact possible with this project.”
The two were able to put together a winning bid of $11,000 with community support. The custom furniture also went for $8,500.
The custom-built guitar was given to Lindsay Thurber so that students in the music program can have an opportunity to play it and feel its impact.
“We are so grateful to benefit from Jennah and Jazdn’s commitment to the arts and their passion for supporting the community,” said Jennifer Mann, music director at Lindsay Thurber.
“The story of the guitar and Jennah and Jazdn’s generosity will live on for years to come through our music program.”
Send your news tips
Like us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter
