Brooklyn Conservatory of Music benefit concert poster

Over 20 performers of contemporary classical, jazz, and world music will present a concert to support Buddha’s Smile School at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music on Saturday December 10 from 6 to 10 PM!

Featuring

• Lara Allen, soprano
• Michael Brofman, piano
• Julian de la Chica, piano
• Jade Conlee, piano
• Hui Cox, guitar
• Anna Dagmar, voice/piano
• Andrew D’Angelo, bass clarinet
• Fingers DelRey, piano
• Joanna Dionis, mezzo-soprano
• Ezra Donner, piano
• Steven Gerber, piano
• Stephanie Griffin, viola
• Sara Holzshue, vocals
• Julieanne Klein, soprano
• Maki Kobayashi, piano
• Beth Levin, piano
• Jon Liechty, piano
• Christine Perea, flute
• Mariel Roberts, cello
• Michael Rose, piano
• Ivan Rubinstein-Gilles, vocals/guitar
• Mia Theodoratus, electric harp
• Deborah van Renterghem, soprano
• Maria Wagner, clarinet
• Photos by John Gurrin

Please help support BSS by attending this wonderful event and do please tell your friends!

WHAT: Benefit Concert for Buddha’s Smile School

WHEN: Saturday December 10, 2011; from 6-10 PM

WHERE: Brooklyn Conservatory Concert Hall, 58 Seventh Avenue; Brooklyn, NY 11217

HOW MUCH: Suggested Donation: $20

For More Information: Please visit the Brooklyn Conservatory Concert Hall Website

Students of Ostteg Elementary School, Umea, Sweden.

Tack (thanks!) to the 29 students of Ostteg Elementary School,Umea, Sweden and their teacher Christer Rosenqvist for holding a successful flea market and bake sale which raised $1,000 for Buddha’s Smile school. Thank you, students, for caring so much about the BSS children in Varanasi.

Dozens of supporters contributed close to $8,000!

We want to give a shout of thanks to Brooklyn, NY artist Erica Harris (now in India and soon to visit BSS) who created a small tsunami of energy around her city raising funds for scholarships for BSS graduates attending middle school. Erica and her fantastic friends raised nearly $8,000. Be sure to check out Erica’s fascinating global art on her website.

A special thanks to the Brooklyn Commune cafe for holding a sale of Erica’s prints raising $800, enough for one scholarship and a lot of fresh food for BSS kids. Check out their website.

and enjoy dining on fresh regionally grown food when in Brooklyn. (That’s the Brooklyn Commune gang in the photo.)

Thanks to Erica, Shannon Holman and other Brooklyn friends, Paro, Vishal, Ravi, Khusboo, Rekha, Sunita, Brijesh, and Pooja now have a one year scholarship to middle school. They were previously holding down full-time jobs, garbage collectors and recyclers on the streets of Varanasi. Now these kids are full time students in middle school and their heads are full of dreams.

Andrea Parker and her team from Los Angeles with the students of BSS, February 2011.

They volunteered during the month of February 2011 at Buddha’s Smile School. Along with their smiles the group brought 21 pieces of luggage with 500 pounds of vitamins, bandages and school supplies. We also thank Journey of Faith Church who provided the funds for Andrea and her team to paint four of BSS’s classrooms. Andrea and her group also taught first aid to the staff, art and crafts and songs to the children and purchased each of the 220 students a new pair of shoes and socks.

Thank you for sending these! Our students are so excited to learn about new places and want to share their world with you.

He tirelessly visits school classes in his town and talks to the students and teachers about India, Sarnath and BSS. Obviously, he does so with a lot of heart and conviction, because it has resulted in amazing funds being raised in Etne.

Last year, they raised enough money to buy BSS a school bus and this year they will contribute half the cost of the daily meals BSS provides to its 220 students.

Geir makes sure the school children in Etne understand the huge impact their support is having on the Indian students’ lives. He will visit BSS again in March to report back on the progress being made and how his community can continue to help.

BSS sends the teachers, school children and other supporters in Etne a very big and heartfelt Thank You.

To our angel Donna Peter, our most heartfelt thank you for your recent extra support that provided blankets to our students and their families. This winter has been especially cold, and your blankets helped to keep the children warm. Thank you for your ongoing support from the bottom of our hearts!

Dear Debbie, thank you for your kind contribution that allowed us to buy warm clothes for Munna, a boy we love dearly, and who desperately needed them. You can see he is so happy to have his warm clothes! Your donation will also allow us to fix Munna’s family’s water pump, bringing water back to their house.

The new shoes and socks were distributed before 26th of January (REPUBLIC DAY CELEBRATIONS). Some of the small children were not able to walk because they have never worn shoes and since this was their first time, they were feeling uncomfortable — but now they are habituated.

My hearty thanks with endless love to our Dear Friend Prof. Jim Duerlinger. (Last year Jim sponsored warm woollen sweaters for all the children.)

Again, thank you so much for all your kindness!!

With much love always!! Rajan

Thank you so much. With much love Always!!

Rajan

Thank you so much. With much love Always!!

Rajan

Here are a few photos of the kids wearing the shoes and socks you guys donated.

Back row L-R: Wally, Janet, Merelie, Troy and Linda. Front row L-R: Jane, Melanie, Susanne

Clothes are always a priority at BSS. The kids go through them like kids do and we’re often on the lookout for additional winter and summers clothing of all shapes and sizes for children between 4 and 14 years.

This February a group of wonderful BSS friends from Los Angeles, CA, USA sent us a couple of suitcases full of cool, new, casual clothing, including tops and shorts and PJ’s and underwear and socks for the kids.

Many of the items were shared among the kids immediately but some of the warmer clothing will be held back until next winter.

Thanks to you all!

Marie-Jeanne at home in France knitting for BSS Kids

Marie-Jeanne is 94 years old and knits day and night.
That means the kids at BSS now have a suitcase full
of warm jumpers for next winter.

Thank you Marie-Jeanne.

Geir Davidsen from Norway has raised the US$13,000 (8.900 euro) needed to buy a vehicle for BSS through his community fund raising efforts in the Norwegian town of Etne.

I cannot tell you how happy the new Bus has made the children and how vital it is to BSS. The children will no longer have to cram into small and fast driven auto rickshaws and Rajan and Sukhdev will no longer have to worry about them getting hurt or falling out on the way to school. The bus is also used to take kids to see the doctor or to hospital if required as well as to transport food supplies from the market.

It is a strong utility vehicle and BSS has hired a professional driver whose name is Jagdish to take care of it and to be the driver. He is a nice man in his 50’s and sensible and kind to the children and the teachers.

Geir, we want to thank you and your family, all the children and adults from Etne including the newspaper Grannar and Etne Sparebank who donated NOK 15,000. What you have accomplished has made a huge and highly significant difference and I wish you could have been in Sarnath yourself to see the happy smiling faces and the magnificent Tata Bus your funding has made possible.