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... Teach a teen to rock, and he rocks forever
BUZZ on BUSINESS
Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009
 Click here to enlarge this photo Submitted photo
Keith and Nicki Grasso, co-owners of Island Music Company in La Plata, pose with an electric guitar in front of a store display. The couple has decided to offer free lessons in many musical instruments to "at-risk" youth to celebrate the first anniversary of the store's opening.
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Keith and Nicki Grasso, co-owners of Island Music Company in La Plata, have decided to celebrate their one-year anniversary in business by providing free music lessons to at-risk youth, the company announced last week.
Program criteria are broad to avoid excluding worthy candidates, but the Grassos are seeking to help kids who otherwise wouldn't have an opportunity to take lessons, and might sorely need it.
"We're looking for kids that kind of got lost between the cracks, so we're keeping it pretty open," said Nicki Grasso, a former social worker, who was inspired to offer the program by her memories of her former occupation. Asking her old contacts is one of the ways she and her husband are going to seek the "handful" of students for the program's inaugural class, she said.
Accepted Southern Maryland students ages 5 to 18 can choose to study guitar, drums, voice, woodwind instruments, brass instruments or keyboard, "so there's lots of options," she said.
Island Music will lend students instruments for their lessons; those who seem committed to the program could be allowed to take the borrowed instrument home to practice, be given a used instrument donated by a customer, or be sold an instrument at cost.
Many academic programs are available for children but "nobody really does anything for music and it's such a good outlet for kids," Grasso said.
The company is at 403 Charles St. Call 866-416-8670 for information about the programs.
BJ's foundation donates $10,000 to food bank
BJ's Charitable Foundation, as part of its quarterly giving schedule, donated $10,000 to Southern Maryland Food Bank in Hughesville, operated by Catholic Charities.
"The recipients support the Foundation's focus to provide basic needs such as food, self-sufficiency, health care services and education to children and families residing in the communities BJ's Wholesale Clubs serve," according to a release.
The foundation donated a total of $723,200 to 87 nonprofits throughout its area of operations.
Since its first grant in 2005, the foundation has given more than $7.4 million to more than 800 organizations. In 2008, it and its vendor partners donated more than $1.7 million to more than 150 nonprofits including a $500,000 donation from the October Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign. That money was divided among leading comprehensive cancer centers throughout BJ's territory.
Bank participated in Day of Caring
Giving back to the community is a Community Bank of Tri-County tradition, according to a press release. And, for the fifth consecutive year, Community Bank of Tri-County employees participated in United Way Day of Caring events held throughout Southern Maryland.
"Our commitment to our community is constantly exhibited through the volunteer efforts of our employees," Community Bank President and CEO Michael Middleton said in the release. "Our participation in the Day of Caring is one example of that support. The Day of Caring has become a wonderful tradition of giving back to our community."
The United Way Day of Caring is a community-wide event benefiting nonprofit agencies in Southern Maryland. Each year, Day of Caring brings together people under the common mission of creating positive change in the lives of children, families and seniors in the community. Community Bank of Tri-County is the oldest independent financial institution headquartered in Southern Maryland with 10 branches and more than $775 million in assets. Community Bank branches are located in Charles, Calvert and St. Mary's counties.
Chick-fil-A gives scholarship
A Waldorf woman was among five recipients of a scholarship from Chick-fil-A.
Melissa Piazza, a dentistry student at Towson University, received a scholarship from the Chick-fil-A franchise at St. Charles Towne Center, where she works.
Piazza was the 24th worker to receive the $1,000 award from the mall location, which is operated by Glenn Gerry.
Chick-fil-A plans to award more than $1.4 million in worker scholarships this year, with 25 of those workers receiving a second $1,000 scholarship, according to the release. Since the program began in 1973, Chick-fil-A has awarded more than $25 million nationwide.
