NY Jets Owners Donate $5K To Darien High School Band Program

DARIEN, CT — Shortly after the war in Ukraine began, an arrangement of the Ukrainian National Anthem circulated between members of the American School Band Directors Association.

In March, Darien High School Band Director Jonathan Grauer thought it would be a nice thing for his wind ensemble students to play as a way to connect with events happening across the globe.

One day in class, Grauer pulled the arrangement out and the students played through it.

After the anthem ended, the classroom went quiet, which was an unusual occurrence, Grauer said.

"Everyone in the room was just quietly reflecting on what was happening," Grauer recalled. "We feel such a sense of pride when we hear our own national anthem, and I think the kids were understanding the sense of pride the Ukrainians feel when they hear their national anthem."

Grauer told Colleen Thompson, director of music for Darien Public Schools, and she decided to record the rendition the following day. The recording was then uploaded to YouTube and included in a DHS newsletter about school happenings.

The parent of a band student saw the video, and forwarded it to her friend Suzanne Johnson, wife of New York Jets owner Robert "Woody" Johnson. Suzanne is Ukrainian-American, and has been active in raising money to help those affected by the war.

In April, the Johnsons donated $1 million for Ukraine relief, according to Sports Illustrated

Moved by the video, the Johnsons decided to donate $5,000 to DHS "for the benefit of a Darien band program," Thompson said. The money was accepted by Darien Music For Youth, a 501c(3) organization, and received in late May.

Thompson said she's "incredibly grateful" for the gesture.

"We were so moved that she would reach out to us in that way," Thompson said. "This kind of shows how music can bring people together and can unite people. It's something small we can do in the community and in high school to shine a light on things that are happening around the world."

Grauer said he likes to pick music for his students that's challenging, but he also wants pieces that they can connect to.

"They're wound tight with trying to maintain their GPAs. If I can get their brains shut down for a little bit and be creative and expressive, I think that's great. I think that's so mentaly helpful for our students," Grauer said.

No decision has been made yet on what to do with the money, but Thompson and Grauer want to purchase something special for the students.

"We want something that would be in the department for years and we can really point to it and say, 'This is something this donation brought about,'" Thompson added.

Both Thompson and Grauer mentioned buying a unique instrument that students wouldn't have the opportunity to play in school otherwise.

"A good musical instrument costs a lot of money, but also a good musical instrument will last a lifetime," Grauer said.

The hope is to make a decision on what to buy at the beginning of the upcoming school year.