Marshall Fundraising Management
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SNEAK PREVIEW: Ashland, OR
'rosey round the road' column'
Oct. 7, 2010
Larry & Joy Marshall: Chutzpah Incorporated...For a CauseBy Alan Rosenberg
It's not that Larry Marshall did badly in show business. As a hunky Hollywood heartthrob with a booming voice, a winning smile, ripped abs and a pet monkey riding his shoulder, he had a pretty decent career before 'retiring' at age 21.
Still, interviewing Larry, 68, I couldn't help wondering how far he might have gone if, a half-century ago, during auditions for Broadway's West Side Story, he'd have been able to pull off a triple tour jete. More on that below.
I don't want to mislead you. There's nothing about this story that's sad. Larry, teamed with his life- and business-partner Joy, does not do sad, not even when telling how a $20 million fortune slipped through his fingers in the dot-com crash of 2000. It was, in fact, his optimism that cost him the Big Bundle. Having cashed in on a 'lucky' $28,000 stock market bet on a start-up named Dell, he couldn't wrap his head around the fact that Dell, along with the other tech stocks in his undiversified portfolio were tanking. "I had complete faith," says Larry, "that things would turn around."
The loss, however, says Larry, merely gave him a better appreciation for life's priorities, like good health and the relationship with his beloved. Besides, he adds, and Joy concurs, "When one door closes, another opens." (What Larry doesn't say is that if the new door sticks, he'll kick it down or talk it into opening. Joy, on the other hand, will unstick the door with her tireless determination.)
For instance, when plans to relocate from Malibu, in Southern California, to New Zealand fell through in 2003, they didn't complain; they hit the road. Joy, who'd driven through the Rogue Valley as a teen, said the landscape reminded her of Kiwi country. Larry agreed to move to Ashland sight unseen.
Since then, they've made their mark with businesses that incorporate a community-minded component. Marshall Fundraising Management, with its slogan, 'Doing Well by Doing Good' produces special events, including last year's Pear Blossom Festival and next spring's "Dancing with The Arc Stars" to raise money for The Arc of Jackson County, a non-profit that 'enhances the lives of people with developmental disabilities.'
Their latest venture, Great Day Jobs, Creative Personnel Marketplace, is a temporary employment agency tailored to meet the needs of performers and artists who can't make ends meet plying their crafts. Larry, who'd founded Marshall Consultants, an executive search firm, knows the industry; having been a performer, he knows how critical a day job can be. He once peddled memberships at the Vic Tanny health clubs. "I was great at closing the sale because I wasn't afraid to go in for the kill."
Larry's theatrical career began with his admittance to the celebrated High School for Performing Arts, a.k.a. The "FAME" school. (Wanting to be a lawyer, he'd auditioned only as a favor to a teacher who insisted the junior high be represented. He was promised that he wouldn't have a prayer.)
Still, when Larry got in, he got serious, so serious, in fact, that he had to transfer out; students weren't allowed to take paid gigs and Larry wanted on-the-job experience. (As an aside: at Forest Hills High School, he sang doo-wop on the street corner with Paul Simon.)
Larry's first break nearly came during auditions for "West Side Story", when the show's composer, Leonard Bernstein, lobbied for Larry to get a part.
"Here I am on stage," says Larry, "and Lenny is having this heated debate with Jerry (Jerome Robbins, the choreographer) about me. Lenny says, "This kid can hit the back of the theater with his voice." The other kids couldn't. So Jerry looks at me and says, "Do a triple tour jete to the knee." I tried it and fell on my face." (He later did the part of Baby John in the LA production of "West Side Story", with half the cast of the Broadway show and half from the movie).
His audition for the role as the Crown Prince in the "King and I" national road touring production went better. Once the role was proffered, "I told them I wanted twice as much money as Sal Mineo made when he did it on Broadway. My agent thought I was crazy."
"What made you do that?" I asked. "Chutzpah."
For the next two years, Larry took his teenage chutzpah on the road, making a memorable mark wearing his pet capuchin monkey, Coco Sebastian Thelonious Monk, on his shoulder during performances. A stint in Hollywood followed--Betty White, a fellow cast member, urged him to make the move--and Larry took on whatever came along, including roles on TV's "Roaring 20s" and "The Twilight Zone". 'Retiring' at 21 to get off the "feast or famine" merry-go-round, Larry moved back to New York where he eventually morphed into a bi-coastal corporate matchmaker. His executive recruiting formula proved so successful that he decided to "recruit" his mate."
Placing personal ads in New York and L.A. Magazines headlined, "The Little Prince is Seeking His Princess Bride," (a reference to his role in The King and I) he interviewed about 200 women. While there was nary a winner among them, one woman, 20 years Larry's junior, thought he�d be perfect for her boss. That's where Joy came in.
Larry not only had found love, he'd met his equal in business and a cohort in Chutzpah. At the time, Joy was a fundraising executive for Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, producing live broadcasts for the Children's Miracle Network. "I convinced the ABC affiliate in L.A. to give me eight hours of air in prime time," she says. Then, she got Disneyland to provide the venue.
Joy had pulled off one of her most successful, and personally satisfying, events years earlier as a fundraiser for Valley Children's Hospital in Fresno by "tweaking" the American Dream Home concept.
"I didn't just want to give away a house," says Joy. "That had been done." So besides finding a builder to provide a house, she solicited donations for everything else, from gasoline to clothing to property taxes. "The idea was that they wouldn't have to open up their wallets for an entire year."
Selling raffle tickets for $5 apiece, the promotion, culminating in a live TV broadcast, raisedover $300,000. "It was killer," says Joy.
It was so successful that Joy is determined to pull off a similar promotion locally. She's already identified the beneficiary: Hearts with a Mission, a homeless shelter for teenagers, and she's won over the local TV stations.
"Now" says Joy, "all we need is the house."
I promised Joy I would put it out there in this column (the Marshalls are not easy folks to turn down): So, do you have a house to donate? Do you know someone who might? Let me know. Or you can go to marshallconsultants.com, marshallfundraising.com, and/or greatdayjobs.com.
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Alan "Rosey" Rosenberg can be reached at (541)778-8949 or alan@roseyroundtherogue.com.
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Mail Tribune
By Greg Stiles April 11, 2010
Pear Blossom Fair has room to grow:
Thousands converge on Hawthorne Park for Pear Blossom Spring Fair and are pleased with the event's new digs
From Samuel Dunlap's perspective, the portable climbing wall might as well have towered 50 feet above the Hawthorne Park grass. It was closer to 20 feet, but even so Dunlap saw it as a rite of pre-teen passage. Just like any other mountain, it had to be climbed. "I had to have a few hints, but I conquered my fear," Dunlap said. "My hands are still shaking.
If Marshall Fundraising Management, the organizers of the Pear Blossom Spring Fair, had any fear that Pear Blossom celebrants might overlook the event's new venue, their doubts were soon put to rest as thousands flocked to Bear Creek's east bank to buy, sell, play and party.
"This is a great park and it's really under-utilized," said Rosie Niemeyer of Medford. "This gives them room to expand. With people coming from out of town, it contributes to people seeing the area." The difference was apparent for Dan McLaren and Barbara Cole of Medford as they rested on a retaining wall. "Last year, the company I work for had an event downtown, and it was so claustrophobic that people didn't want to be engaged and would walk right past."
The change in location appealed to the young, old, stroller pushers, wheelchair riders, cyclists and dogs. "Last year, the herd just pushed you," Cole said. "There might be the same amount of people, but it's easier to see and be part of things." The scores of parents navigating through the throng with strollers showed deftness, weaving through the foot traffic and leashed canines.
After completing the 10-mile Pear Blossom Run earlier in the morning, Brian and Kelly Lambert of Eagle Point navigated around the parade lines to check out the fair. "I always park behind the Y(MCA)," Brian Lambert said. "This is a much better place, but it seemed a long way to wander." The trip to the park was a relatively last-minute decision for Lee Davis of Central Point. "I saw the tents out there yesterday when I was coming home from work," Davis said. "There was no parking down there where it was before. This is much better." With his daughter scheduled to play a Medford American Little League softball game later in the day, Jon Houston brought Samantha to Hawthorne Park to "check things out." They bought a necklace, sunglasses and food. "We checked out all the booths," Houston said. "They weren't pushing the sales and prices were reasonable."
While lines of people were snapping up the usual high-calorie fair food, places to sit and eat were at a premium. "This place is a lot more relaxed, although they could stand to bring out a lot more picnic tables," said John Pickett of White City. "It would be nice if they could combine this with the parade — maybe they could circle around the park."
The ponies and air dragon drew lengthy lines. "There is just more for the kids to see here," said Anthony Martinez of Central Point, who made a point of getting to the park before the crowd got too big. Tyler Miles, a 2003 South Medford High School graduate, frequented the Pear Blossom when he was growing up and participated in more than one parade. "This is a good place to see people you haven't seen for a while," said Miles, who now resides in Central Point. Bob McCray, a retired Forest Service firefighter from Merlin, was one of the beneficiaries of the expanded format. "I go to craft fairs all over Oregon, Washington and California," McCray said. "I've wanted to start getting into the bigger stuff locally because travel is a big part of my expense."
For those wanting to step back a few centuries, a few hard knights defended their honor in mock combat, while lords and ladies looked on from a makeshift castle. While her son wielded his sword, Aline Wilkinson surveyed the park. "I skipped the parade this year," Wilkinson said. "I'm tired of the beautiful, old cars. Once you've seen a few 25-foot Bel Airs, you've seen them all. I want floats."
Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 541-776-4463 or e-mail business@mailtribune.com.
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SNEAK PREVIEW-MEDFORD:
Nathaniel Hayden, Editor
April, 2010 issue
BUSINESS PROFILE:
Names:
Larry Marshall
Joy Marshall
Birthplace:
Larry: Newark, NJ
Joy: Artesia, CA
Birthdate:
Larry: 11/17
Joy: 04/30
Titles:
Co-Managing Directors
Describe your organization:
Marshall Fundraising Management is a fundraising consulting and special events management firm serving nonprofit organizations with compelling missions based in Ashland, OR and San Francisco CA.
Favorite aspect of your job:
Fulfilling our mission statement: "Doing well by doing good"
Larry: Counseling nonprofit clients on integrated marketing communications strategies to build awareness.
Joy: Creating a project and seeing it 'blossom'!
How long have you lived in Rogue Valley:
We moved to Ashland 7 years ago from Malibu and love the Rogue Valley.
Favorite movie:
Larry: Classic movie musicals/"Star Wars"
Joy: "2001--A Space Odyssey "
Favorite play:
Larry: "Shmoltzy" Golden Age Broadway Musicals
Joy: Les Miserables/Miss Saigon
Favorite actor:
Larry: Anthony Hopkins
Joy: Jack Nickelson
Favorite actress:
Larry: Kathryn/Audrey Hepburn
Joy: Meryl Streep
Favorite TV show:
Larry: "Classic Arts Showcase"/Anthony Bourdaine
Joy: "Big Love"/"Weeds"
Favorite radio station:
Larry: JPR
Joy: KOOL 102
Favorite book of all time:
Larry: Michener's autobiography: "The World Is My Home"
Joy: "Poisonwood Bible"
Favorite magazine:
Larry: NewsWeek
Joy: None!
Favorite pet(s) of all time:
Toby, our Cockerpoo & Sebastian, our Ragdoll cat
What person do you admire the most(and why):
Larry: P.T. Barnum, the world's greatest showman and creative marketing/PR guru
Joy: Oprah Winfrey. For her tenacity in following her dream, when she had everyting going against her, to become one of the wealthiest women in the world...and not just in monetary terms
What’s the first thing you turn to when you read a daily newspaper?
Larry: business stories
Joy: local section
Favorite part of the Sneak Preview:
Larry: Profile and Annual reviews of restaurants, services, etc. (70% my choices)
Joy: Business Grapevine
Favorite hobbies:
Larry: Viewing musical videos; gourmet/ethnic cooking/dining and entertaining; RV traveling/camping
Joy: Reading, gardening, RV camping
Favorite Beatle and/or Beatle song:
Larry: Classic Beatles songs
Joy: Never liked the Beatles...I'm a "Stones" gal!
Favorite local restaurants (you can name four or five):
Larry: Elements Tapas, 38 Central, Bambu, Porters
Joy: 4 Daughter's Bambu
What would you do if you won $10 million in the lottery?
Larry: Been there, done that! As an early investor in Dell, became a "Dellionaire". Honeymooned on the Concorde "Adventure Around the World"! Began foundation benefiting sick and injured kids, arts, animals, etc. Lost most in high tech bubble burst! Reprioritized my values: Good health/positive relationships; rest is "stuff"! Love the ride!
Joy: Hire a financial planner; set up a Foundation & fund my favorite charities; Buy homes for our 2 sons and give each of them $1M. Fund a creative business for them to operate together. Buy a country house and a log cabin at Lake of the Woods...and 'volunteer' all my fundraising services.
What is the most important thing you learned as a child?
Larry: Learned about "survival", as short-skinny kid, growing up in poor family in tough Bed/Stuy, Brooklyn!
Joy: "Everything happens for a reason"....Grandma Zona
What person or event had the biggest impact on your life?
Larry: My junior high-school teacher, Mr. Bernstein, pushed me to audition for NYC's High School of Performing Arts. With over 10,000 applications I was accepted. Was teen featured musical theatre performer for 6 years. Retired at age 21! Learned professionalism takes 150%. I applied that tenet to all my future endeavors.
Joy: Humanitarian relief mission to Thailand to assess needs of 20,000 Hmong refugees living in illegal asylum in a monetary outside Bangkok, and their eventual release to the United States legally.
Proudest achievement:
Larry: Finding and marrying my life/business partner, Joy! Founding first PR-oriented executive search firm, Marshall Consultants, and serving over half the Fortune 500 companies; now primarily assisting Joy in her passion: NPO fundraising/special events.
Joy: Making a difference in the lives of many sick and injured children during my time with the Children's Miracle Network as foundation staff and consultant.
Favorite thing about Medford:
Larry: Craterian Theatre
Joy: Hawthorne Park...!!!
What would you change about Medford:
Larry: Stimulate more cultural activities.
Joy: Continue the upgrading and beautification of downtown.
sneakpreview@medford.net 541.778.8164
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Mail Tribune:
By Greg Stiles
March 23, 2010
Pear Blossom fair makes changes
Medford's annual spring festival moves to much larger Hawthorne Park and will be held Saturday and Sunday
For decades, all roads led to Alba Park on Pear Blossom Saturday. With both the Pear Blossom Run and parade finishing near the small downtown park, it seemed the logical — if somewhat limited — location to conclude the day's festivities.
That's changing this year as the Heart of Medford Association is redirecting its Pear Blossom Spring Fair efforts to the much-larger Hawthorne Park, as well as shifting days, making it a Saturday and Sunday event.
Organizers say the change of venue will capture a new audience and carry it to new heights on the second weekend of April.
"Basically, we're taking what was a relatively small event in Alba Park and making the event the largest it's ever been," said Larry Marshall of Marshall Fundraising Management, an Ashland fundraising consulting and events management firm. "The key challenge is taking this herd and moving them in another direction. How do you get all these people about 10 blocks from where they've gone before?"
The move was necessitated, said Heart of Medford Association board member Sally Densmore, because electrical and water resources were maxed out. The move will unclog the civic center area around Medford City Hall and the post office by early afternoon, while providing room for entertainment and more than 100 vendors.
The event is the association's chief source of income, so more vendors will enable the group to expand its efforts to promote downtown. "We thought Hawthorne Park would be a better venue and give us room to expand," she said. The move also sets the stage for future endeavors. Densmore said downtown business owners plan to act on the challenge thrown down by tourism guru Brian Baker two years at a chamber of commerce forum, when he suggested expanding Pear Blossom activities beyond a single weekend. "Nobody has worked out the details, but this positions us to do that," Densmore said. "We're really pleased how fast vendors signed up in this economy. Hopefully, people will start thinking about (additional) Pear activities all month."
In addition to promotional and volunteer efforts to redirect parade-goers to Hawthorne Park, a shuttle service from Alba Park is planned.
The spring fair runs 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, April 10, featuring six hours of live entertainment, starting at 1 p.m. More activities are in store from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Vendors were booked for both days, giving people who miss out on Saturday another chance on Sunday.
"We thought since we have the vendors already set up, we might as well let the people enjoy them for two days," Densmore said. "There may be a different audience, people who aren't involved in the run and parade."
Reach Greg Stiles at 541-776-4463 or e-mail business@mailtribune.com.
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For Immediate Release:
March 25, 2010
Everything Old is New Again!
The old Pear Blossom Street Fair is now renamed the new Pear Blossom Spring Fair and is celebrating its 30th year. In addition to the new name is a new venue at Hawthorne Park.
The event, as always, follows the Pear Blossom Parade on Saturday, April 10th from 10 AM to 7 PM and has the largest potential crowd of any Southern Oregon event. The event continues on Sunday, April 11, from 10 AM to 5 PM.
With crowds of 20,000 or more at this two day event (previously held on Friday and Saturday), the Alba Park venue was outgrown. The event had been held there for the past 29 years. The Heart of Medford Association (HMA), a nonprofit organization (www.heartofmedford.com) , decided to move the event to Hawthorne Park giving the event more room for people and room to expand the features of the event.
It is a leisurely walk through downtown Medford from Alba Park, where the parade ends on Saturday at about noon, to Hawthorne Park and shuttle service will be provided from park to park on Saturday. The new venue will also provide room for 24' wide aisles, so people can easily stroll down the rows of vendors.
HMA engaged an Ashland-based fundraising consulting and events management firm, Marshall Fundraising Management,(www.marshallfundraising.com), headed by Managing Partners, Joy and Larry Marshall. Their challenge was to build on the existing event of the past and to create a fresh approach, with novel and unprecedented features. Says Joy Marshall, "Once we resolve all the logistical components, everything should be set to make this event run very smoothly...the best ever!". And Larry Marshall comments, “The great challenge we have now is communicating the venue location change from Alba Park to Hawthorne Park and the changed days of the event, Saturday and Sunday (formerly Friday and Saturday), as well as the great fun, new attractions for the entire family on both days. To do so, we will have a Pear costumed-figure ("Buddy" or "Blossom", our event mascots) and other volunteers following the Parade, and at Alba Park, with signs directing the huge crowds to Hawthorne Park, along with sustained radio and TV spots, posters and major print/broadcast media hype, etc., creating great community awareness... ala P.T. Barnum, the greatest event promoter (born 200 years ago in 1810)!"
This year, in addition to the 100+ retail, arts/crafts and other vendors along with 14 food concessions, there will be something for everyone! From medieval jousting to a challenging rock climbing wall just waiting for energetic kids of all ages to try!
New this year in the Kids Zone will be activities for kids created especially for them by ScienceWorks with interactive space-orientated projects and Kids Unlimited creating “tattoos” using removable ink with glitter and sparkles. Wildlife Images will be featuring some of their ‘traveling’ animals and teaching about exotic animals; all the old standards will still be there, too, with cotton candy, pony rides, face painting, bounce houses, and elephant ears to eat and alpacas to meet! The Southern Oregon Alpaca Association (SOAA) will be introducing their unique and adorable ‘farm’ animals to many kids for the first time.
There will be a special nonprofit section where many of the area’s organizations will provide beneficial information of interest to the community, including area historical societies embracing the legacy of the Rogue Valley.
For the first time, an outstanding music component is being added to the event to make it even more enjoyable! There will be a large professional mobile stage with first-class sound and many of the best Rogue Valley musical talent groups will perform...with the professional entertainers generously donating their services back to the event! The musical theme will be spirit-uplifting in keeping with the mission of HMA.
The performance roster is as follows (subject to change):
Saturday:
· 12:00 -12:40: "Random Sound", 13 year old kids rock & roll band, covering Beatles songs, as well as originals;
· 1:00 -1:40: "The Relief", a dynamic group full of energy and passion will perform all original songs that will have everyone dancing in front of the stage;
· 2:00-2:40: "The Rogue Suspects", playing well-known funky blues, rock and Motown;
· 3:00-3:40: "Michael Mish", environmental-oriented musician/composer, will hit the keyboard singing many of his Emmy-award winning children's songs, R&B, and covering songs from iconic legends, Elton John, Cat Stevens and The Beach Boys;
· 4:00-4:40: “Michael ‘Hawkeye’ Herman and Friends”, acoustic blues musician and global blues educator;
· 5:00-5:40: "Apropos Musique", unique sounds of contemporary pop group;
Sunday:
· 12:00-12:40: "Siskiyou Violins", nationally-honored, teen ensemble;
· 1:00-1:40: "The Gayle Wilson Band", long-time favorite, performing classic rock;
· 2:00-2:40: "4 Stories High", recently transplanted duo from New York City, Laura Berman and partner/husband, Craig Benelli, will perform 'New Thought Inspirational' community music;
· 3:00-3:40: "The Hedgehogs", soulful gypsy jazz and swing group with Brad Kauder, Dan Fellman and gang;
· 4:00-4:40: "Havurah Choir" led by Allen Kenner & delivering uplifting selections;
(Brief background on each performing group is below and photo images are available upon request).
Entertainment Producers are Larry & Joy Marshall, Marshall Fundraising Management; Production Manager is Brent Waroniecki, Marshall Fundraising Management;
Stage Manager is Shawn Montgomery, Profound Entertainment.
During both days, KRWQ, KISS and KOOL radio stations will be handling the mic and providing ‘color’ between shows. They also emcee the event. Ivan Velasquez, Dreamweaver Productions, will volunteer additional DJ services during the weekend.
The Pear Blossom Spring Fair sponsors include: Charter Communications, Bicoastal Media-KISS, KOOL and KRWQ, Profound Entertainment, PacificSource Health Plans, MURA (Medford Urban Renewal Agency), PacificCorp, Umpqua Bank and many others.
HMA is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to help revitalize and build awareness to the renewal of downtown Medford along with its retail merchants, and to renewing foot traffic to the area and its environs. Proceeds from this event support all other year-long HMA events, such as Art in Bloom in May, The Taste of History in June and Winter Light Festival in December.
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Pear Blossom Spring Fair Performer Backgrounds:
"Random Sound":
Random Sound with Nick Chouard, Cole Coster, Tejas Leir-Heyden, Spencer Tesluk . The boys of Random Sound met on a soccer field, but soon discovered they have another passion in common. . . Rock and Roll. Just a few years ago, they could only play three or four chords and now they have developed into real musicians who rock their audiences with high energy performances.
"The Relief":
The Relief is a group of young artists and jokers who are natural-born performers. Their all-original rock sound is influenced by many of the 'greats' in rock music from The Rolling Stones and The Doors to Bob Dylan and The Who. Their history starts at the beginning, since Chris Doran (Lead Vocalist-Rhythm guitar) and Spenser Doran (Drums/Percussion)are brothers. Then, in early childhood they met up with bassman/vocalist Shane Kell, and the music and the chemistry began! Rounding out the group is lead guitar, Jesse Kennemer. Together they say, "We'd perform even if no one listened...we can't stop, won't stop...until our hearts stop".
"The Rogue Suspects:
There are so many reasons to love these Rogues, and, yes, that is with a capital “R”. The Rogue Suspects, or Suspects for short, is one of Southern Oregon’s local bands and is a perfect musical storm – a culmination of agonizingly amazing talent, energy, charisma and magnanimous spirit. These Rogues are Keys Angermaestro, Soul Man Bolen, Greg Fretless and Tex, also known as keyboardist/vocalist Dean Angermeier, drummer David Bolen, bassist Greg Frederick and guitarist/vocalist Dirk Price. www.roguesuspects.com
"Michael Mish":
Emmy-award winning environmentalist-composer of original kids songs, musician and singer, covering Elton John, Cat Stevens and The Beach Boys, etc. The LA Times calls him "The Pied Piper of the Environment" and he has appeared on PBS specials and many national network TV programs. He has also created acclaimed videos for many nonprofit organizations. www.michaelmishmusic.com
"Michael 'Hawkey' Herman":
With over 40 years of performng experience, Michael "hawkeye Herman exemplifies the range of possibilities in acoustic blues, and personifies versatile musicianship, originality, and compelling artistry as a blues storyteller. Award-winning internationally recognized blues performer/recording artist, educator jamming with local musician friends, singing and playing dynamic acoustic blues and R&B. Let the good times roll! His dynamic performances have won him a faithful following, and he leads a very active global touring schedule of performances at festivals, concerts, school programs, and workshops. Haweye performs a wide range of traditional blues, ballads, swing, and original tunes, on six-string and twelve-string guitar, and is an adept and exciting practitioner of slide guitar and slide mandolin. www.HawkeyHerman.com
"Apropos Musique":
Apropos Musique is a newly formed contemporary acoustic musical group comprised of three talented musicians: Curt Masterson, Neil Henderson and Stephanie Oaks. The wide backgrounds of each of these individuals lead to a very nice fusion of diverse styles. Working hard to blend Rock, R n’ B, Country and Jazz into unique Pop music, they seem to have immense fun singing together. www.equuspro.com
"Siskiyou Violins":
Siskiyou Violins, led by Artistic Director Faina Podolnaya, consists of around 40 teen – and sub-teen – violinists from the Rogue Valley. They were one of only two youth orchestras from across the United States to be invited to the annual conference of the American String Teachers Association in California earlier this year.
"The Gayle Wilson Band":
This high-energy group plays hits everyone remembers. From “Mustang Sally” to “Footloose”, you can count on this band to let the good times roll. Band members include Dal Carver on piano & vocals, Brent Norton on guitar and vocals, Dennis Freese on sax, flute, clarinet & vocals, Jeff Addicott on bass & vocals, Mike Fitch on drums, Gayle Wilson on harmonica and vocals. www.gaylewilson.com
"4 Stories High": Laura Berman and Craig Benelli:
“Our songs are our stories, and we have a multitude of stories to tell.” From their days in the New York City “singer/songwriter scene,” to performing at the Agape International Spiritual Center in Los Angeles, and alongside inspirational authors Marianne Williamson and Neale Donald Walsch, 4 Stories High, have inspired thousands nationwide with their songs, wit and honesty. They continue to perform at numerous conferences, music venues and spiritual centers across the countryThey continue to perform at n numerousconferences, music venues and spiritual centers across the country. www.4storieshigh.com
"The Hedgehogs":
The Hedgehogs play Gypsy Jazz and classic swing-era tunes. Gypsy Jazz – also known as Gypsy Swing or Jazz manouche – combines the passion and romance of traditional music with the uplifting bounce and swing of the WW-II Era big band music. Spearheaded by manouche gypsy guitarist, Django Reinhardt, Italian violinist, Stephane Grappelli and their Paris-based “Hot Club of France” – Gypsy Jazz is currently enjoying an enthusiastic following worldwide. Come swing and sway to the jazz sound of Gypsy Jazz at this year's Pear Blossom Festival!
"Havurah Choir" led by Allen Kenner:
The Havurah Choir, led by Allen Kenner, featuring Paula Flowers and Yvonne Wolfman and composed of singers of all ages from diverse faiths, celebrates the joy of singing spiritual music together. The choir sings primarily at Jewish services at the Havurah, but also spreads healing, understanding, and tolerance through music by performing at other venues, including interfaith events in the Rogue Valley. The Havurah Choir sings a wide range of spiritual music including traditional melodies, chants, modern folk-style music, both liturgical and secular, as well as original music. Many of the pieces the Havurah Choir sings were composed and arranged by Allen Kenner.
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Rogue Valley music legend passes after 2-day benefit event
Musical fixture Dave Marston dies of rare disease
By John Darling
For the Mail-Tribune & Ashland Daily Tidings
June 24, 2009
Barely 24 hours after a two-day benefit concert raised more than $25,000 for his medical bills and the support of his family, well-known Rogue Valley musical director and chorale leader Dave Marston died of a rare brain disease. Afflicted the past four months with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Marston died in home hospice care at 9 p.m. Monday surrounded by loved ones and caregivers. He was 56.
Tami Marston, his wife of 20 years and mother of their two children, Sarah and Rose, said that, after his passing, "I tried to imagine a world without Dave and it's not possible because he is here in our children and in everything we do musically."
Marston, a fixture on the Rogue Valley music scene for decades, led his family in many performances. His last performance was with his Siskiyou Singers in "Gems of Broadway," in early May at Southern Oregon University's Music Recital Hall. Over his long musical career, the energetic Marston was music director for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and led the Siskiyou Singers, the Beatles cover band The Nowhere Men, The Ancient Men, the Rogue Valley Peace Choir, the Children's Peace Choir and choirs at Methodist, Congregational and Havurah houses of worship in Ashland.
Most of these groups and others performed at a fundraising concert Saturday and Sunday at the Historic Ashland Armory, raising $25,000 to $26,000. The proceeds will go toward more than $20,000 in medical bills and for support of the family, which has children in high school and college, said Larry Marshall of Marshall Fundraising Management, which did pro bono work on raising the money.
On the Marston family Web site at www.caringbridge.org/visit/marstonfamily, Tami Marston posted the note that "Tami, Sarah and Rose had a profound visit with him "¦ on Friday, where he not only smiled and shared a tear, but used his hand to strum his own 'air guitar' and complete the Marston Family Singers one last time."
"The groups (at the benefit) gave an incredible amount of love, warmth and joyous singing," said Marshall. "It's what Dave was all about. He was the busiest and most hard-working musician in the valley and his memory and legacy will surely live on in this community."
Allen Kenner, director of the choir of Havurah Shir Hadash, said Marston encouraged him both in interfaith choir work and in sight-singing (reading music). Kenner will carry on these traditions, teaching sight-singing at 4 p.m. Fridays at Havurah, with proceeds going to the Marston family.
Lynn Sjolund, director of Rogue Valley Chorale, which sang at the benefit, said, "Dave did a lot of wonderful things for a lot of people in this valley." As the benefit concert went on, wrote Tami Marston, "I have no doubt in my heart that Dave was with us all at the Armory to receive and give back all the love that flowed to him in those concerts."
On Sunday, after the benefit concert ended, the family joined Marston to tell him "of the beauty of the event" and to celebrate Father's Day. She wrote, "He's so clearly and absolutely present in the spirit of everything he gave in his life — every person he loved, taught, mentored, gave support to; every gift of music and empowerment he bestowed upon his friends, his family, his community; every note he sang, played or conducted that entered the hearts of people receiving the gift he was giving them."
There will be a "Celebration of Dave" free community event this summer, hopefully in the Lithia Park Band Shell, at a date to be arranged. Marston's brain tissue will be donated to research institutions working with the incurable CJD, he added. Additionally, a DVD and CD of the benefit concerts will be available for purchase shortly at the Music Coop in Ashland, with proceeds going to the Marston family's fund.
The family will have a "paint up, fix up" weekends nn July 18 & 19 and July 25 & 26 to get the family home ready for sale. Donations may be made via www.davemarstonfamily.com or to the Dave Marston and Family Fund, Rogue Federal Credit Union, P.O. Box 4550, Medford, OR 97501.
John Darling is a freelance writer. E-mail him at jdarling@jeffnet.org.
_________________________________ Benefit concerts will be held for Dave Marston
For the Mail-Tribune & Ashland Daily Tidings
June 19, 2009
"Come Together, Right Now "... Over Dave!" will feature more than 200 performers in a two-day fundraiser this weekend for popular entertainer and choral director Dave Marston, 56, who suffers from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
The benefit will begin at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 20, and 3 p.m. Sunday, June 21, at the Historic Ashland Armory, 208 Oak St., Ashland. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is incurable and fatal. After experiencing symptoms in February, Marston and his family have faced mounting medical bills as Marston has no health insurance.
The Saturday night show will feature solos, duets and ensembles, including many of Marston's former students. The Sunday program will feature choral groups led or inspired by Marston.
Joy and Larry Marshall of Marshall Fundraising Management in Ashland, are presenting the shows pro bono along with all of the performers. The Marshalls say they've had to turn down many area artists wanting to pay tribute to Marston because there are simply too many to accommodate. "I've always said to Dave, 'You're the hardest-working, busiest musician in the Rogue Valley,' " Larry Marshall said.
The event's name is based on John Lennon's song "Come Together." Marston led the Beatles cover group The Nowhere Men, which performed widely around Southern Oregon. He's said his three loves are the Beatles, Brahms and baseball.
The Saturday concert, "For the Benefit of Mr. Dave!" will headline The Nowhere Men and The Marston Family Singers without Dave but with his wife, singer-actor Tamara Marston, and the couple's daughters, Sarah and Rose.
Also on the bill are Wild Honey Pie, another Beatles cover group, guitarist Bil Leonardt, singer Presila Quinby, Linda Hawkes, Voix Capella, the Havurah Choir, the Siskiyou Violins, Tom Freeman and Paul Jenny, The Grooveyard Trio and others.
The Sunday afternoon concert, "All Together Now," will focus mainly on the choral groups and ensembles Marston directed for many years. The lineup includes the Siskiyou Singers and Ensemble, the Rogue Valley Peace Choir and Ensemble, Rogue Valley Chorale, Southern Oregon Repertory Singers and Chamber Singers, Darcy Danielson and Jim Malachi, Laura Derocher and David Gabriel and others. The programs for both nights are subject to change.
Richard Moeschl, Mail Tribune arts and entertainment editor, will be master of ceremonies, with Lisa Marie Malovoz, Oregon Shakespeare Festival production assistant, as director and stage manager.
Marston is a longtime musical force whom friends say inspired others to find the music in themselves. He taught music, led choirs and performed at countless benefits and rallies. Even after he was stricken with balance and memory symptoms several months ago, he continued working. He conducted two choir concerts with the Siskiyou Singers in May.
A fund has been established for donations: The Dave Marston and Family Fund, c/o Rogue Federal Credit Union, P.O. Box 4550, Medford, OR 97501. Concertgoers will be able to make donation pledges with forms in their programs.
This is not just a concert," Marshall said, "this is a tribute to Dave. Come to the concert and pledge your financial support to Dave and his family for all they have given to the community."
The family is planning to sell its Ashland home, and the Marshalls are organizing "weekends of caring" work parties the weekends of July 17 and July 24 to help fix it up for sale.
For information about the concerts, visit DaveMarston family.com. For more information about Dave, visit caringbridge.org/visit/marstonfamily/mystory.
For more information about the Marshalls, visit marshallfundraising.com.
if you go:
What: Dave Marston benefit concerts
When: 7 p.m. Saturday, June 20, and 3 p.m. Sunday, June 21
Where: Historic Ashland Armory, 208 Oak St., Ashland
Tickets: $25 adults, $10 for children 12 and under each show; both shows for $40/$25 at the Music Coop and Paddington Station, Ashland
More information on Dave Marston: Visit DaveMarston family.com or caringbridge.org/visit/marstonfamily/mystory
More information on the Marshalls: Visit marshallfundraising.com
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Ashland Daily Tidings:
June 18, 2009
Arts & Entertainment
'Come Together, Right Now … Over Dave!'
Joy and Larry Marshall, managing directors of Marshall Fundraising Management, are producing pro-bono The Dave Marston Benefit Concert to raise funds for Marston's medical bills and other family financial needs at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 20, and at 3 p.m. Sunday, June 21, at the Historic Ashland Armory, 208 Oak St., Ashland.
The theme, "Come Together, Right Now "¦ Over Dave!" is an invitation to the community to show its support for the musician who has served the people of Southern Oregon for several decades.
Via lessons, choirs, benefits, rallies and performances, Marston has passed the gift of music along to friends, students, family and strangers alike. Marston, 56, has contracted Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a rapidly progressing terminal disease with no treatment or cure.
The Saturday evening concert, "For the Benefit of Mr. Dave!" will feature soloists, duets and ensembles, including some of Marston's former music students. The program will include The Nowhere Men, The Marston Family Singers, Wild Honey Pie, guitarist Bil Leonardt and singer Presila Quinby, Linda Hawkes, Voix Capella, The Havurah Choir, The Siskiyou Violins, Tom Freeman and Paul Jenny and The Grooveyard Trio and others.
The Sunday afternoon concert, "All Together Now," will focus mainly on the choral groups and ensembles Marston directed for many years. The lineup includes the Siskiyou Singers and Ensemble, the Rogue Valley Peace Choir and Ensemble, Rogue Valley Chorale, Southern Oregon Repertory Singers and Chamber Singers, Darcy Danielson and Jim Malachi, Laura Derocher and David Gabriel and others. The programs for both nights are subject to change.
Emcee for both concerts will be Richard Moeschl, arts and entertainment editor for the Mail Tribune and the Daily Tidings. Director and stage manager will be Lisa Marie Malovoz, production assistant at Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
Tickets to each concert are $25, $10 for 12 and younger. A combo ticket for both events is $40 for adults, $15 for 12 and younger. Tickets are available at Music Coop and Paddington Station in Ashland and at the door.
A fund has been established for donations: The Dave Marston & Family Fund, c/o Rogue Federal Credit Union, P.O. Box 4550, Medford, OR 97501.
For more information about the concerts, visit DaveMarstonfamily.com.
For more information about Dave, visit caringbridge.org/visit/marstonfamily/mystory.
For more information about the Marshalls, visit marshallfundraising.com.
If you go:
What: Dave Marston Benefit Concert
When: 7 p.m. Saturday, June 20 and at 3 p.m. Sunday, June 21
Where: The Historic Ashland Armory, 208 Oak St., Ashland
Tickets: $25 or $40 for both at Paddington Station and Music Coop in Ashland
Call the Marshalls: 488-3121, if necessary, for additional information.
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By John Darling
for the Mail Tribune
May 27, 2009 6:00 AM
A benefit concert has been planned for the weekend of June 20-21 for Dave Marston, a well-known Rogue Valley music director and chorale leader who is in home hospice care with a rare and incurable degenerative brain ailment known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
Marston, 56, first started experiencing symptoms in February, said Tami Marston, his wife of 20 years. She said the disease brings on Alzheimer's-like symptoms and rapid decline in cognitive and motor function and claims its victims within four to nine months.
Over more than 35 years, Dave Marston has become a fixture on the Rogue Valley music scene, at one time serving as music director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. He's led the Siskiyou Singers, the Beatles cover band Nowhere Men, the Marston Family Singers (with Tami and their combined six children), The Ancient Men, the Rogue Valley Peace Choir, the Children's Peace Choir and choirs at the First Methodist Church, the Congregational Church and the Havurah Shir Hadash in Ashland.
He composed an opera, "Waters of Love," performed by Rogue Opera, taught at Elderhostel and worked with two-dozen private students.
The benefit, organized pro bono by Joy and Larry Marshall of Marshall Fundraising Management in Ashland, will feature many of the groups that Marston led or performed in, plus others.
Called "Come Together, Right Now, Over Dave," the benefit concert is planned from 7 to 9 p.m. June 21 and/or 3 to 5 p.m. June 22 at the Historic Ashland Armory. Whether there will be two concerts will depend on how many acts sign up to perform, Tami Marston said. Final times and dates will be announced later.
Donations will go toward paying $20,000 in medical bills so far. Marston does not have health insurance. The Marstons still have two children in high school in Ashland; the other four are adults. "Dave brought in 75 percent of the income and the family is profoundly affected," said Tami Marston. "The family is reeling now and needs to sustain itself."
In addition to the concert, the Marshalls are organizing a July "paint-up, fix-up weekend of caring" at the Marston home to get it ready for sale.
Donations may be given to the Dave Marston and Family Fund, Rogue Federal Credit Union, P.O. Box 4550, Medford, OR 97501-0275.
Known as "Beatle Dave," Marston is passionate about three things — the Beatles, Brahms and baseball, said Larry Marshall. Marston is "a maestro and the hardest working musician in Southern Oregon," Marshall said.
Marston once took Tami and the kids on a grand tour of baseball stadiums, attended a San Francisco Giants Fantasy Camp and got to play ball with some of his heroes, friends and family said. On a recent visit to the city for medical evaluation, the family was given four tickets to a sold-out game — and Marston was wheeled down to watch batting practice.
"We're surrounded by angels and Giants," Tami Marston said, adding that the pro bono fundraising by the Marshalls is the work of angels. They did the same service for an uninsured member of the Nowhere Men who contracted a catastrophic illness last year and is now on the mend.
Dave Marston, a native of Hayward, Calif., and music graduate of University of California at Hayward, recently went to University of California at San Francisco so the medical team could give a second opinion by ruling out any other possible disease.
One of the UCSF staff, as a child in the 1970s, went to Marston's "Pepperland" pre-school in Ashland, learned many Beatles songs, including "Yellow Submarine" and "Octopus's Garden," and now teaches them to the children of the medical staff, said Tami Marston.The Marston Family Singers last summer gave their final concert, the songs of Pete Seeger, at First Methodist Church in Ashland.The gravity of Dave Marston's condition became widely known earlier this month when he directed the Siskiyou Singers in "Gems of Broadway." He was helped by three people to the podium to direct the two concerts, for which he received a standing ovation.
Messages for Marston and his family may be left at www.caringbridge.org/visit/marstonfamily. The Web site also has details on the benefit, work party and how to make donations.
John Darling is a freelance writer living in Ashland. E-mail him at jdarling@jeffnet.org.
How to help:
Donations may be given to the Dave Marston and Family Fund, Rogue Federal Credit Union, P.O. Box 4550, Medford, OR 97501-0275. Messages for Marston and his family may be left at www.caringbridge.org/visit/marstonfamily. The Web site also has details on the benefit, work party and how to make donations.
________________________________Rogue Valley Locals Guide:
July, 2008
Welcome To The Future of Media:
By Shields Bialasik, Editor & Publisher
I had initially received a phone call from Larry Marshall who began by giving me a little bit about his wife, Joy’s, background of their company, Marshall Fundraising Management, (www.MarshallFundraising.com) being involved in helping support and connect nonprofits (aka NPOs) around the Rogue Valley with donors.
The Marshalls had moved here from Malibu, CA, about 5 years ago. They had met there 10 years ago and committed themselves to the concept that they would have a “new life adventure” every 5 years. After their Malibu lifestyle ended, they researched moving up to So. OR and did so, initially in their RV towing their Land Rover, along with their ‘kids’, Toby, a Cockerpoo and Sebastian, a Ragdoll cat. They now reside in So. Ashland, where they have both their home and office.
In Malibu, both had taken an early retirement hiatus from their business careers and traveled on the Concorde’s only “Adventure Around the World…Beyond First Class” (it ceased flying shortly thereafter), as well as other special trips. While in a retirement mode, they created their own foundation, “Marshall Family Foundation to Make a Difference”, supporting their personal causes, including children, animals, healthcare, fine and performing arts and the environment.
When they settled here, however, they became inspired to go back into the business mode and formed 2 businesses, Fun Lifestyles (www.FunLifestyles.com), marketing “fun and functional lifestyle toys 4 big kids” [such as portable spas and pet strollers, etc. for travelers, (primarily sold Online)], and relaunching Larry’s former business, Marshall Consultants, LLC (www.MarshallConsultants.com) the first PR-oriented executive search and management consulting firm with regional, national and global corporate and nonprofit clients.
However, Joy was not being fulfilled by these ventures and felt compelled to re-enter the nonprofit field. “Once you have nonprofit blood in your veins (it’s a little different red than normal), you’ll always need to feel like you’re making a difference”. Larry has joined her and, while their other businesses continue to a limited degree, they are now focusing on their fundraising and events management enterprise as their next lifestyle adventure.
Over the past two months I had the opportunity to meet with Joy and Larry several times to discuss some of these issues. One of the ideas that we came to was the creation of a monthly column, “Doing Well By Doing Good” (which is their consulting firm’s slogan), that would highlight some of the issues and opportunities confronting nonprofits (NPOs) and offer some creative solutions, thus creating connection and networking with the public and the local nonprofits. In a new approach for LocalsGuide, I have invited Larry and Joy to share their own voice first person within this introduction, so that they can share a little bit more about their own background and services that they are bringing to the community.
Our New Monthly Column: "Doing Well By Doing Good"
By Joy & Larry Marshall
Marshall Fundraising Management
We established our fundraising management firm, Marshall Fundraising Management (www.MarshallFundraising.com), in Ashland last year and are its Managing Partners. We found there was a vacuum in the Southern Oregon region for this type of comprehensive fundraising consulting service to assist NPOs in building their income via innovative fundraising and development strategies, as well as special events specifically geared to their unique missions.
Joy
I was previously with the Children’s Miracle Network (CMN was founded by John Schneider with Marie Osmond and her family in the early 1980’s) for over 15 years. During that time, I served both as a fundraising and corporate-sponsored events Consultant to CMN national, as well as to many of the 175+ children’s hospital foundations. I was also on the management staff of Valley Children’s Hospital, Fresno, CA and Childrens Hospital Los Angeles in CA. During my career, I created many highly successful and novel programs/events that were replicated in many other CMN markets. One of my greatest thrills while at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, while serving as their Executive Producer for the “Champion’s” telecast, was to get their ‘telethon’ off an obscure cable station, airing in the middle of the night, to being produced on KABC-TV-Channel 7, live from Disneyland, and raising many millions, as well as great awareness! I have also been fortunate to have handled other regional and national clients, including United Way, Boys and Girls Clubs, etc.
Larry
My career in the business world has spanned over 4 decades, after a prior career as a teen show biz performer. After a stint as a PR and Advertising exec, I opened the first PR-oriented executive search and management consulting firm, Marshall Consultants (www.MarshallConsultants.com), based in New York City, with western offices in Seattle and Los Angeles. It has represented over half of the Fortune 500 companies, public relations agencies, as well as major and evolving nonprofit organizations, including American Bible Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Clinic, United Jewish Appeal, United Way, etc.
Marshall Fundraising Management
Our team, together with a growing network of Strategic Partners, provides broad fundraising services to local, regional, as well as national and global, nonprofit clients. While customizing many special events to the needs of growing RV client list, one of their most successful is their “Direct ASK” event, employing ‘Charitainment’, a melding of an NPOs mission with entertainment. This has become a very successful model and, in the case of organizing this event for one of their clients, Talent-based Camelot Theatre, helped garner multi-year pledges increasing their revenue over 1000% from its previous traditional events.
We are excited about our venture back into the nonprofit arena and that our motto, ‘Doing Well by Doing Good’, now a monthly column, will hopefully be informative, enlightening and motivating. Carpe Diem!
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Doing Well By Doing Good (July,2008 column)
By Joy & Larry Marshall
Marshall Fundraising Management
“Harambee” is Swahili for “Let’s Get Together and Push”. We love this word! It says so much and whether you’ve ever heard it before or not, this is what the Rogue Valley is all about! This global concept used here so well in the Rogue Valley, at a grass-roots level, is vital to the enrichment and sustainability of our giving communities. The generosity of its citizens in giving of their money, time and effort, has never ceased to amaze and inspire us.
What is “Fundraising”? What does it enable nonprofit organizations (NPOs) to do, and what makes some projects/programs successful - - or not, are some of the subjects we’ll be addressing in this monthly column. We’ll discuss how NPOs come about, how they are organized and managed, and how they develop their programs, and then must be supported through funding, including grants, individual donors, and the general public.
This community really cares! It has fostered the growth of a myriad of NPOs and the number has swelled over the past several years. Dee Anne Everson, Executive Director of the United Way of Jackson County, has told us that there were about 950 NPOs 12 years ago; today there are over 7,700! Obviously, with this many charities vying for the attention and funding of supporters, many, with very noble causes, have been unsuccessful in fulfilling their missions. We are finding that many are more similar than dissimilar and, quite often, it’s very difficult to distinguish their differences. We feel there should be more program and fundraising collaboration, alliances, and possibly even mergers of some of these individual entities to make them more cost-effective and financially stable.
To be successful and credible, NPOs must first, and continually, be building a strong network of supporters in creating ‘friend-raising’ programs first to garner awareness and visibility. You can’t just call someone on a list and ask them for money, just because you feel you have a worthy cause; you could, but most likely they aren’t going to give you any, or it may only be once! Especially today, with an uncertain economy and ‘donor fatigue’, along with increased competition from other NPOs, now more than ever it’s about creating a long-term and lasting ‘relationship’. Once you have identified that they share your concerns/beliefs; by staying in contact with them; learning about what is important to them; you can grow this relationship to one that ultimately will garner ‘fund-raising’ opportunities.
We’d like to have a dialogue with our readers, so we welcome your comments, suggestions & questions. Please send them to: info@MarshallFundraising.com
- Carpe Diem! Larry & Joy Marshall
Larry and Joy are the Managing Directors
of Marshall Fundraising Management
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Mail Tribune
May 02, 2008
Medford funds proposed homeless teen shelter:
Public hearing convinces City Council to allocate $216,000 in federal grant money to nonprofit group
By Meg Landers
MEDFORD — Following an emotional public hearing that lasted nearly three hours, the Medford City Council voted unanimously late Thursday to give $216,000 in federal funds to a new shelter for homeless teens.
Amber Hill of Medford told the council she and her mother have taken in at least 13 homeless children in the past five years. "It's hard, you know?" she said, breaking down in tears. "If they're being hit, mentally abused, sexually abused, why go home?" Homeless youths need a safe place, she said. "If we can do it, let's do it," she said, and the audience exploded into applause.
The hearing was to consider the allocation of $614,230 in Community Development Block Grant funds. Hearts with a Mission nonprofit organization requested $216,000 to help purchase and renovate a house on Edwards Street for an emergency shelter for homeless teens. The shelter will provide males and females, ages 10 to 17, with a secure environment for 72 hours and link them with other service agencies. Councilman Bob Strosser said he struggled with an organization at such an early stage requesting such a large amount of money. He'd prefer the nonprofit had its business plan, including funding for operations, worked out in detail.
Kevin Lamson, founder and president of Hearts with a Mission, said "concepts don't sell," adding that they need to have a building before donors and supporters will get behind them. He estimated operating costs will be $468,000 annually. Marshall Fundraising Management, an Ashland-based fundraising consulting firm, will be handling fundraising and provided a support letter to the Council, which helped allay one councilman's concerns.
Bill Hale, one of more than a dozen rugged-looking Harley-Davidson bikers supporting the shelter, said he learned in the past two months about homeless youths when two of his teenage grandchildren ran away from home. They returned with rough stories, he said. "I really saw a need," said Hale, a member of a Christian ministry motorcycle club. But Karen Blair, a real estate agent, and member of the Housing and Community Development Commission that recommended approval, said she was troubled that it was such a new organization and it was requesting such a large sum of money. "I question the sustainability of a program like this only because it's taking the fast track," she said.
Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail mlanders@mailtribune.com.
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Mail Tribune
May 01, 2008
Nonprofit seeks house for homeless teens
Hearts with a Mission will seek federal Community Development Block Grant money allotted by the city of Medford
By Meg Landers
A budding organization is seeking $216,000 in federal money disbursed by the city to establish an emergency shelter for homeless teens. "Youth do not belong in a shelter, youth belong in a family," said Kevin Lamson, president of Hearts with a Mission, a nonprofit organization. "But a lot of times there are families out there that aren't the best place for a youth to be in, for whatever reason. This is a huge need in our area."
A Medford City Council public hearing is scheduled for 7 tonight to consider the allocation of $614,230 in Community Development Block Grants, a portion of which could go to Hearts with a Mission to buy a house on Edwards Street. Every year the council holds a public hearing to review the spending of the CDBG funds. Lamson said he's served on the board of Helping Hands International, a disaster relief organization, for four years, and the work inspired him to help those in need locally.
The Medford resident said a third party has already purchased the house, and if awarded the grant the organization would buy it for $200,000. The house was once a group home for Living Opportunities. Many teens have been kicked out of their homes, live in abusive homes or face other dangerous situations, said Lamson. The shelter would provide teens with a safe, secure environment for 72 hours and link them with other services if needed, such as drug treatment programs, he said. The residential care facility would provide temporary emergency shelter to teenagers through a Christian-based approach, though Lamson said there's no church responsible for the organization and clients would not be required to attend church.
Planning is still in the early phases, though Lamson said he's optimistic that things can move fast. "I would love to have it open before the snow flies," he said, but added, "we haven't even started to raise the funds to renovate it yet." Marshall Fundraising Management, Ashland-based fundraising consulting firm, will be handling their fundraising programs.
Medford Police Chief Randy Schoen supports the idea of an emergency teen shelter, though statistics on homeless teens in Medford were not readily available. "The police department really doesn't know how big a problem it is," he said. As long as the organization works closely with law enforcement and community services and takes precautions to weed out predatory teens or adults, he said, it can provide a needed service. Lamson said precautions will be taken to prevent problems like those at the youth shelter in Talent seven years ago. In 2001, state and county investigators closed the Community Works Youth Diagnostic Shelter in Talent after two workers were charged with sexually abusing eight teenage clients. One was sentenced to six years in prison, the other to four years. He said motion detectors can alert others if someone enters or leaves a room. He also plans to do extensive background checks and fingerprinting of all staff and volunteers. "You have to take all the safety precautions you can," he said.
The CDBG funds, from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, total $614,230. That's down 3.5 percent from last year's $636,217, said Louise Dix, neighborhood resource coordinator for Medford. CDBG funds are based on population and poverty statistics, Dix said. Though Medford's continue to worsen, the federal government is allocating less, she said. The annual grant goes to urban areas for assistance for affordable housing, public health and safety and other services for low- and moderate-income residents.
The council holds a public hearing every year to receive information on the proposed distribution of the funds, as recommended by the Housing and Community Development Commission. In addition to the Hearts with a Mission project, proposed allocations include $50,000 to the Salvation Army for city utilities for the Hope House Transitional Shelter, $35,000 to the Housing Authority of Jackson County to rehabilitate a West Main Street apartment complex, $20,000 to the Medford Senior Center and others.
Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail mlanders@mailtribune.com.
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Ashland Daily Tidings:
May 1, 2008
Community pours out support for David Gabriel
Community members raised more than $11,000 at a benefit to help with the medical expenses of local performer David Gabriel. Gabriel had emergency, life-saving surgery in October and was hospitalized at Ashland Community Hospital for two weeks. Expenses were $57,000 and, even with insurance, Gabriel still owed more than $24,000. The "David Gabriel Benefit Variety Show" on April 20 at the Ashland Historic Armory, helped put a dent in that bill.
"There was an amazing outpouring of love from the community for David Gabriel," said Joy and Larry Marshall of Marshall Fundraising Management, an Ashland-based fundraising and events management firm that produced the event pro bono. Marshall Fundraising Management represents local, regional, national and global non-profit organization clients. They advise on fundraising strategies and organize special events to build awareness, visibility and funding income. They donated their services to their friend, David, on a pro bono basis.
The Armory donated the venue and participants donated their performing talents, including The Hamazons, Laura Derocher (Gabriel's life-partner), Paula Flowers, Renee Hewitt, Heather Hutton, Karen Lovely, Richard Williams, Gayle Wilson and Camelot Theatre's Livia Genise and radio talk-show host Jeff Golden as co-emcees.
Gabriel himself performed with his Beatles cover band, The Nowhere Men, also featuring Dave Marston, Brent Norton and Joe Cahoon.
Individual donations and sponsorship dollars combined to raise $12,963.43, which, after expenses, netted $11,667.32 for Gabriel's medical bills, the Marshalls said. Ashland Community Hospital has agreed to accept this amount as payment in full toward Gabriel's hospital balance. Subsequent donations will be used to offset his doctor's bills.
Gabriel offered his thanks to everyone who donated their time, talent, money and other gifts.
"My heart is full with gratitude and appreciation," Gabriel said. "Your combined gift relieves a huge burden. The world feels like a safe place to be. It makes me want to give more of myself""my time, energy and resources""whenever I can."
The issue of universal health care also surfaced during the show. "While it feels great to come together to support one of our own, we should also remember that there's no other affluent country in the world where friends would have to do this on their own," co-emcee Jeff Golden said in his opening statement. "The system more or less told David Gabriel: 'Here's a huge bill for the procedure to save your life and we don't care that it's much more money than you have. Life's tough — deal with it.'"
Gabriel only had "catastrophic" medical insurance, which paid a portion of the debt.
"We all deserve to have our healthcare needs met," Gabriel said. "Let's continue to envision and work toward a U.S. health care system that truly works for everyone."
Gabriel has appeared at The Camelot Theatre many times, most recently as the Baker in "Into the Woods" and the fiery John Adams in "1776." With Laura Derocher and friends, David conceived, co-wrote, co-produced and co-performed an original musical variety show, "Divine Lunacy." He recently was featured in a winter tour with Rogue Opera's "Opera in the Schools" program. David will be appearing at the Camelot Theatre May 29 through June 15 in "Spotlight on Tony Bennett" and all donations from that program shall also be included in the fundraising campaign.
Until all bills are paid in full, donations will continue to be accepted at Umpqua Bank, 250 N. Pioneer Street, Ashland, OR 97520. Donors, please make checks payable to: David King (David's legal name) Medical Expense Fund.
Marshall Fundraising Management Formed;
Marshall Consultants Celebrates 40th Anniversary
ASHLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Joy and Larry Marshall of Ashland, OR announce the formation of Marshall Fundraising Management. Larry states: "Joy's passion has always been in the nonprofit arena and, given her success in that field, along with our good fortune in life, decided she wanted us to continue to give back to society. So, we now will offer our dual business background and nonprofit fundraising experience and talents by creating Marshall Fundraising Management where we will advise and assist regional, national, and global nonprofit clients in their fundraising efforts".
They will also assist philanthropic organizations, as well as private and corporate foundations, in assuring that their contributions are directed wisely, are cost-effective, and achieve their desired results.
The firm's principals are seasoned business and nonprofit Consultants and each have some of the highest credentials of any full-service nonprofit fundraising consultancy in the West. Larry and Joy's past clients, together and individually, have included Avon Foundation, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Children's Miracle Network, Ford Foundation, Consumers Union, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, United Jewish Appeal, and the United Way (regionally and nationally) to name a few. Recent and current local clients include the National Kidney Foundation (of So. OR), Community Health Center (Jackson County, OR), and the Camelot Theatre Company (Talent, OR). Their new website is: www.MarshallFundraising.com.
Joy's major involvement for over 15 years had been with the Children's Miracle Network (CMN was founded by Marie Osmond and her family), both on the management staff, and as a Consultant to, many of its over 175 children's hospital foundations in the USA, Canada and Mexico. She has guided hospitals for children in creating successful corporate-sponsored fundraising events and cause-branding programs. She was the Executive Producer of CMN's annual local broadcast, aired on KABC-TV from Disneyland, while heading CMN fundraising at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.
Both are Managing Partners of Marshall Fundraising Management, and integrate their individual skills. Larry advises clients in PR and Marketing Communications strategy and programs, building their awareness and visibility. These efforts support Joy's fundraising, development strategy, and special events planning, programming and execution. They partner with their clients' internal staff to achieve the most successful results. They plan also to have a network of Strategic Partners regionally, nationally and globally, to be announced shortly.
Larry is also the Founder and CEO of Marshall Consultants, www.MarshallConsultants.com, the sister company of Marshall Fundraising Management. It is now celebrating its 40th Anniversary as the first executive search and management consulting firm specializing in Public Relations, Corporate and Marketing Communications and Investor Relations. Formerly based in New York City for over 35 years, with Western offices in Seattle and Los Angeles, the firm relocated to virtual offices in Ashland, OR. They have represented major nonprofits, and over half of the Fortune 500 and evolving companies, as well as leading PR counseling firms. It focuses on a limited number of senior-level searches from a select group of regional, national and global clients.
They conclude, "We wish to represent nonprofit clients who serve compelling, and potentially high-visibility causes, with ambitious non-profit fundraising or philanthropic giving objectives, and where we believe that our skills will make a difference. We assist them in 'doing well by doing good'".
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Joy & Larry Marshall, Managing Partners
Marshall Fundraising Management
196 Windemar Place
Ashland, OR 97520
541-488-3121
San Francisco:
415-267-6109
Email: info@MarshallFundraising.com
Website: www.MarshallFundraising.com
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