Celebrate 5 years of Emerge by helping me build a school!

Dear friends,

This July I will celebrate the 5th anniversary of the Emerge Music Group, a group I started to help promote exciting up and coming bands and artists. During these 5 years several hundreds of bands have been featured and promoted to hundreds of potential new fans.

In honor of this anniversary, which also happens to coincide with a big birthday for me in June, I am undertaking a massive project and am asking for your help.  I am working with Pencils of Promise to build a new school in Nicaragua.  Pencils of Promise is an amazing non profit (or as they like to say a "for purpose") which in 3 short years has built 50 schools in Nicaragua, Guatemala and Laos.  They are trying to build 50 more in 2012!

It costs $25,000 to build a school so after all these years of trying to help so many bands and never asking for anything in return I am now asking for your help.  Here's how you can get involved and help build a school for children who otherwise would not have access to education.

1. Visit my fundraising page: http://pop.stayclassy.org/fundraise/pop?fcid=114523 and learn more about the project. If you are able to make a donation - any amount helps.

2. Consider a way that you can support this project through your music. Perhaps donate ONE night of a tour. Or proceeds from ONE day of T-shirt sales. Or offer fans an opportunity to donate and give them something for free in return.  I realize that many of your bands are just trying to stay afloat and pay the bills and I don't want to add to your hardship - but anything would help. If you choose one of these options please let me know so I can help promote whatever you're doing! And if anyone is interested in doing a benefit concert for this in the DC area PLEASE let me know as I would love to help make that happen!

3. Spread the word to your fans, friends and other bands.  Even if you are unable to donate anything maybe you can pass this on to someone else who can.

4. If you really want to get involved in a more serious way you can start your OWN fundraising page. To do this go to: http://pop.stayclassy.org/fundraise/pop-team?ftid=5920 and click the green box that says "Start Your Page."  Fans love to see their favorite bands get involved with a cool service project so set a goal for your band to raise money and it will all go towards this school project.

In case you were wondering $25,000 provides enough funding to physically build a school (using local resources) and to provide teachers and teacher training.

Also, just so you know, EVERY dollar donated online goes 100% to the school. NONE of it goes to administrative or overhead costs.

Finally, no matter where in the world you are you can help out.

If you have any questions please contact me at emergemusicgroup@gmail.com and thank you in advance for any help you can give me!

I am SO excited to get this project started and truly appreciate all the help I know I'll get!

Have a great week and enjoy the music!
Ira