The Cello Cries On

Victims' Relief Fund

Jason Crowe believes that the Internet puts in the hands of kids a tool for bringing peace and harmony to the world. The Cello Cries On is a not-for-profit peace project that was created to remind us that,"in spite of differences in race, color, national origin, social-economic status, and religion, we are all the same beneath...at the level of the heart."

The first project of The Cello Cries On project was to create a statue of Vedran Smailovic, principal cellist of the Sarajevo Opera Orchestra, who witnessed the massacre of 22 neighbors in a bread line during the Seige of Sarajevo in 1992. Vedran's response was to play his cello amid sniper fire for 22 consecutive days in the crater left by the fatal mortar shell. The statue was a gift to the children of Bosnia from from peace-loving people around the world, especially children.

In the aftermath of the terrible tragedy that killed thousands of people in New York City on September 11, 2001, Jason is once again looking to the children of the world to help. He has started a campaign for children to sell yellow ribbons in memory of those who died. The purpose is to raise money for the families of those who died.

Jason wrote to us at MY HERO explaining that he is going to distribute Yellow Bows in his community for a donation of $5.00 (as he did during the Kosovo crisis, raising over $4000 by asking for $3.00 per bow). Jason is hoping to get this started in several communities across the US.

You can help raise funds in your community and become part of the The Cello Cries On project. This not-for-profit program working with the Red Cross will raise funds to support the families of those who died.

Those buying Yellow Ribbons can make out their checks to the AMERICAN RED CROSS and then on the memo line write "NATIONAL RELIEF FUND/CHILDREN OF VICTIMS." The Red Cross can accept these "donor restricted" checks and the money legally has to be used for what the donor requests!! Thus, the public will be reassured that all cash and checks collected will be to help the children, who are the ultimate victims of this tragedy." say Jason.

There are several ways you can help:

1. Start a Yellow Bow campaign in your community.

If you would like to work on a campaign so that your community, can show its solidarity. Here are some guidelines to get you started:

2) Start right away (Bows are going in a hurry!) by finding a wholesaler in your area who will donate or sell you cheaply the yellow bows. There is a thing called a "pull bow." This is what you want, because they come flat (easy for you to store and manipulate) and you, or whoever buys a bow from you, can just pull on the string and create a big beautiful bow. Make sure you get waterproof bows since the idea is to have people display the bows as a show of solidarity for the US on their trees, doorposts, whatever, outside.

3) Contact the media and tell them your plans. Ask them to let people know they can make their checks to the AMERICAN RED CROSS and then on the memo line write "NATIONAL RELIEF FUND/CHILDREN OF VICTIMS."

People can buy a a yellow bow to show our solidarity in this crisis, or they can sponsor the purchase of yellow bows so that your student group wil have more bows to sell.

4) Decide on a price which will cover the expense of purchasing the bows and still leave plenty for contribution to the Victims' Fund(Jason is intending to ask for a donation of $4.00 or more).

5. After you have sold your bows, send a check to to the AMERICAN RED CROSS and then on the memo line write "NATIONAL RELIEF FUND/CHILDREN OF VICTIMS."

6. If you intend to begin a Yellow Bow campaign in your community, please let Jason know so that he can coordinate efforts. For example, right now there is someone ready to start a campaign in DC and Jason is sure she could use lots of help.

This is an ideal project for an adult civic organization, a youth group, a school, a church, mosque, or temple or even for a single family or a neighborhood. It will be a good way to show our solidarity as a country and a symbolic way to say that we need to unite as a nation in prayer and in our work for peace.

As Jason explains, "... praying for peace and working for peace are the only things that will ever change our world. Threatening to kill Muslims everywhere because we think a Muslim extremist group is to blame for the attack is not the answer. Even distrusting and hating Muslims because of what happened is not the answer. Hate breeds more violence. Peace within begets peace without."

Jason has asked MY HERO staff to pass this message on to as many people as we can and to invite them to either make a one-time donation or, better yet, to start a yellow bow campaign in their community as a memorial to the victims and a display of a diverse and unified America.

Jason writes: "May God bless the USA....may God bless us all."