[mwidzinski]

Dear saxophonists,

I am writing to ask you to help the State University of New York Fredonia Archives & Special Collections department in a grant program that we are participating in. I am currently implementing an audio preservation, digitization and restoration project for the archives on the historic Sigurd Rascher audio collection. We have been privately funded to this point, but will need outside funds in order to complete the project.

I have submitted an application for the Pepsi Refresh-Everything grant program. They have 1,000 grant applications each month, and the money is awarded based on popular vote. There are 10 awards of $5,000, 10 awards of $25,000, 10 awards of $50,000, and 2 awards of $250,000 each month. My application is for $50,000. With this money, we will easily be able to complete the project without having to look for other funding.

Each person can vote for an idea once per day per project for the entire month of November. I would greatly appreciate it if you could help me out by voting at the link below:

http://www.refresheverything.com/rascheraudio

Just click on the link, then click the "Vote for this idea" button on the right-hand side. You will be prompted to create an account. Alternatively, you can sign in to the Pepsi website with your Facebook account, if you have one.

You can also vote directly on Facebook using the Pepsi Refresh voting application:
http://apps.facebook.com/pepsirefresh/idea/set?auth_token=e68b8916e28d5d2e0be25a0d87d8f783

The last alternative is to vote via text. Standard text message rates apply.
Text 103703 to Pepsi (73774)

I am creating a daily mailing list for the month of November. I will send out reminder emails each day with a link to the page for voting. Please let me know if you would like to be added to this mailing list by contacting me directly at [email protected] .

*A note for teachers: I would greatly appreciate it if you could forward this information on to your saxophone studios to get your students involved.

*A note for non-U.S. individuals: The rules and regulations for the grant program state that voting is only for people within the United States. If you could share this information with those you know within the US, it would help out a lot.

Please share this link with your friends, family and colleagues! We need as many votes as possible to be successful in this extremely competitive program.

Thank you,
Melissa Widzinski

 

[sax-ony]

*A note for non-U.S. individuals: The rules and regulations for the grant program state that voting is only for people within the United States. ... You can try to vote as well, if you feel so inclined.

I do think scholarly institutions should try to maintain some self-respect in the scramble for money. Pepsi's dollars aren't worth stooping to deceit for.

That said, it is clearly a very good cause, so good luck with your appeal!

 

[mwidzinski]

You're right. We shouldn't try to evade the rules. That comment has been removed from the original post.

 

[richcastle66]

i go there!

 

[FremontSax]

*A note for non-U.S. individuals: The rules and regulations for the grant program state that voting is only for people within the United States. ... You can try to vote as well, if you feel so inclined.

I do think scholarly institutions should try to maintain some self-respect in the scramble for money. Pepsi's dollars aren't worth stooping to deceit for.

That said, it is clearly a very good cause, so good luck with your appeal!

I would point out that Pepsi Co. is a multi-national corporation and as such If you aren't in the US you should find a way to remind Pepsi that they make money across the globe and should consider non-US votes as well.

Audio preservation of early music benefits the world and the world which buys Pepsi's product should have a vote.

I suggest, if you don't like the rules... you don't have to bend the rules, you don't have to sit quietly by... you can instead lobby to have the rules changed.

 

[FremontSax]

I am stopping voting because this seems more interested in collecting information from me then doing good projects.