Two Richland One schools to receive $50,000 donation to support string music education programs

Time Warner Cable, in partnership with the VH1 Save The Music Foundation, is announcing a $50,000 donation of musical instruments to Richland One for the string music education programs at Hopkins Elementary and Edward E. Taylor Elementary Schools. The presentation at Hopkins is tomorrow (Oct. 23) at 9:45 a.m.; the E.E. Taylor presentation is Oct. 28 at 6:30 p.m. "Working closely with VH1 Save The Music and the local school board, we are thrilled to be able to provide this much-needed musical instrument support to our community students," said Roy L. Haigler Public Affairs Manager for Time Warner Cable "We are looking forward to continuing this partnership with VH1 Save The Music in Columbia and the outlying areas."

"This donation is an important next step in ensuring that as many students as possible in this community receive the numerous benefits that music education can bring them," said Bob Morrison, executive director, VH1 Save The Music Foundation. "We are grateful to the local school board for their commitment to this goal and to our great partners at Time Warner Cable for providing the local leadership to make this day a reality."

Nancy Pope, the district’s coordinator of visual and performing arts said, "We’re just ecstatic. This is a great boost for our string program. We’re actually receiving the equivalent of two, full elementary-school orchestras. We’ll be able to recruit more students who, hopefully, will continue string instruction through middle and high school."

Working alongside cable affiliates like Time Warner Cable and retailers like Pecknel Music, as well as education advocates and corporate and national sponsors, the VH1 Save The Music Foundation is dedicated to restoring music education programs in cities across America and raising awareness of the importance of music participation for our nation’s youth. VH1 Save The Music and its partners conduct awareness campaigns, musical instrument drives, and fundraising events in conjunction with public schools to help restore instrumental music programs.

Since VH1 Save The Music was created in 1997, more than $21 million worth of musical instruments has been donated to 900 public schools, improving the lives of more than 400,000 children. The 10-year goal is to bring music participation to at least one million students.