Summer Dreams: Lucas & Cameron

We are almost there! Wow. THANKS to the 36 donors who have brought us within inches of our total goal to get Cameron to Boston Ballet and Lucas to Tanglewood Institute. We need about $1,000 more to close the gap so we feel like we're in the the home stretch.Please help us get there if you can - every dollar helps.

Last week's great news was that Cameron earned a scholarship from a program that supports the professional training of male ballet dancers ages 15 - 25. He auditioned and received a very nice check in the mail.

Wow. We are less than $2000 away from our campaign goal. Lucas, Cameron and I are so thankful for the support and the opportunities that are coming up for them this summer. Here's a photo of Lucas getting ready to play for the Palm Sunday procession in Bolton Hill (Baltimore) when three congregations gather in a park and walk together. The live music made the march more special this year. Lucas is standing with Cameron Thomas. They've played music together since elementary school! (Shout out to Graham Gold for a great music program at Hamilton!) Again, thanks for all of the support and good vibes y'all are sending toward my sons. Makes my heart very full.

I write this latest update at the end of a long but fruitful weekend. Lucas is upstairs practicing for his recital this coming Friday. Cameron didn't dance today (!) but I took this photo in the mirror while watching yesterday's rehearsal for Sleeping Beauty (with Chesapeake Ballet.) That show opens on Saturday in Annapolis. We have crested over the $5,000 mark in this fundraising campaign because of such amazing generosity and some scholarship... and I can tell you we are blown away by the gifts (and notes) supporting these guys.

We got some good news this week that we think will put this campaign over the half-way mark. Wow. Every single gift of any size helps. Believe us! And here's a little treat photo - not in the studio or on the stage - This is what happens when you take a trained dancer to a wedding and let him loose on the electric slide (and everything else!)

Online and offline our campaign is growing as more amazing gifts come in to support of Lucas and Cameron's summer plans. This past week, I've witnessed over and over the power of the arts in my sons' lives during the School for the Arts AfricaNow Festival. Here is a photo of Lucas moderating a panel discussion with the students who had the opportunity to travel to Ghana and then produce a show sharing their reflections through music, film, poetry, theater, visual art, song... and more. This weekend, Cameron is performing both with School for the Arts and with Peabody Dance. We're busy, but we're sooooo grateful. THANK YOU.

Thank you! Lucas and Cameron are 32% of the way to their goal. We are so thankful to have the support for these pivotal summer trainings! Here's another photo. In December, Lucas recruited a group of musicians to perform at the memorial service for people who died while homeless. It was a moving experience; very somber and one of the most poignant moments was hearing four of them play "Amazing Grace" and watching the crowd turn towards the quartet and start singing. There were more than a few tears flowing that night. Music & art move us toward a better civilization.

Yay! Our hearts are full with gratitude. We've hit 10% of our goal. Thank you. Here's a photo of Cameron striking a pose in public (like he often does) when we were in Savannah last fall for a wedding.