This Christmas season, Statement Arts will be traveling down to the hurricane – ravaged Gulf Coast, with a busload of professional singers and performers to carol in the most neglected and forgotten areas. We hope to bring some love, some music, a little Christmas spirit, toys and supplies to those desperately in need. A lot of people have asked why we want to do this. The reasons are simple and stretch back to Ground Zero after 9/11. Countless people from around the globe stopped their lives, left their families and came to New York City to volunteer in a disaster zone. Their generosity was amazing. In the months that followed, it became obvious to us that the thread that connects us all, however thin it may seem, is very strong. People came from all over the world to New York to help, by offering their kindness, their laughter, and their love. Many of us felt they were our lifelines . In the midst of Ground Zero, a Mardi Gras group from New Orleans came up North in a huge trailer. They parked right outside of the Ground Zero perimeter and they set up shop. Their delicious jambalaya could be smelled for blocks. It was winter here and very cold but we all made an effort to spend a few minutes each day at their truck. There was music and laughter and for a few days a bit of the Big Easy made living in a very hard place a little more comfortable. The Mardi Gras beads that they were handing out still hang in my office. We, at the WAP, really wanted to find a way to give back. The Project Bayou Caroling Tour stems from a program that we started for the FDNY that first Christmas following 9/11. Singers of all ages got together and traveled to many forgotten New York City firehouses, particularly the ones that were in remote areas that few people visited. Our goal was very simple. We just wanted to bring a little joy to a lot of people who needed it, through music and the spirit of Christmas. In the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, we are asking for your support for this trip so we may take this idea on the road, not only to payback New Orleans for its kindness, but also bring some holiday cheer to the people of the Gulf Coast who have lost so much this year. It is our hope that in some small way, we will be able to do something for another community that is suffering. We hope that you will find a way to help support our cause. Liza Politi |