8.June.2010
At this moment, I am looking at a big stack of money. It’s more cash than I’ve seen on my desk in a long time, and none of it’s mine.
Last week, I played a benefit show for the Jake Stults Foundation. It was an average turnout for an Attica! Attica! show in Portland, and the requested donation at the door was $3-5. Perhaps you can understand, then, why I was astounded that the total we made averaged out to be $20/person. Considering that some people donated $3, others donated much more. Two days later, my friend Jesse was at a hardcore show and announced an upcoming benefit screening for the foundation. One of the bands, Dangers, decided to donate all of their door money and merch money from the show, even though they were on tour. Two days after that, I was at a show talking to my friend Rory of Soul Control about the situation, and he returned with a generous donation from his band, despite being 3,000 miles from home.
We are truly a stunning community. Within a week, we raised just under $1,000, mostly from people who barely knew Jake or didn’t know him at all. We are not some enormous charitable organization using donations to cover administrative fees, nor are we a church with loyal weekly contributors. We are just a group of people who take care of our own. And Jake was one of us.
The circumstances of Jake’s life and of his death allowed for him to donate 7 organs and enough tissue for up to 70 additional recipients. It is rare that a person’s passing can have such a broad and profound impact on extending and improving the lives of others. We can and should rejoice in this fact, but we must do so with an awareness that the efforts to save his life came at an enormous cost. As of today, the medical bills stand at $115,000. I think we can all agree that this is far too great a burden for one person to bear.
So it’s up to us. I am so satisfied and impressed with the pile of money in front of me because it is evidence of how strong and unique our community is. We are great. But this is less than 1/100th of the financial burden that Jake’s wife and family face. I hope you will continue to demonstrate how strong our network is by helping with a donation to the Jake Stults Foundation. If you are reading this, then you were a part of Jake’s community, even if you didn’t know him. I encourage you to act the way you would like the community to respond if you were in the same situation. Thanks for your generosity, your kindness, and your support.
- Aaron
