<HTML><HEAD> <META charset=US-ASCII http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; cha= rset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1458" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fffff= f"> <DIV> <DIV>In a message dated 8/19/2004 1:04:18 AM Central Daylight Time, joegarre= tt@earthlink.net writes:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue = 2px solid"> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Jim Kinnear said: "<FONT face="Times New = Roman" size=3>I'll be donating a piano to some needy student this fall . .= . small, =<BR>but it's something . . .  anybody else do similar stuf= f . . . any ideas =<BR>or suggestions to watch out for ??<FONT face=Aria= l size=2>"</FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><BR>Jim,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Not to inflate my worth, as a tech/person, = but I do this as often as the need arises. It has so many rewards, I can't c= ount them. Let's face it Musicians, (and most piano techs, as well), are not= big in the money department. A helping hand to any needy prospective musici= an is the way to go, IMO.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Best Regards,</DIV></FONT> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Joe Garrett, R.P.T.<BR>Captain, Tool Police= <BR>Squares R I</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV> <DIV>To Jim and Joe - We started a piano donation program in the Chicago Cha= pter about....a year and a half ago (time flies!).  It is called A= Gift of Pianos and we seek out individuals and organizations who have piano= needs, but limited resources to obtain and maintain such instruments. = </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>While we don't rebuild pianos in this program, we do completely recondi= tion them and then pass them on accordingly.  One of the tenets of&nbsp= ;this plan is to help Associates, or RPTs for that matter, to gain= experience with the opportunity to work on real life pianos under the eye o= f more experienced technicians. In this regard, we would specifically l= ike to help those Associates who have a mind to, to upgrade to RPT status. (= This is only one of a good many efforts the Chicago Chapter has entered into= over the years to open to door to Associates. Some take advantage of these = efforts and, sadly, some do not.)</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>At the same time, we see this kind of a program as a promotion for the = Chicago Chapter and the  PTG where people across our Chicagoland area c= an learn of the programs merits.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>At present, we've given away three pianos and have eight more in the pi= peline to be donated sometime soon.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Don Bee, RPT</DIV> <DIV>Chicago Chapter</DIV> <DIV> </DIV></BODY></HTML>