Second Annual Peace, Love & Emma Fundraiser Set for Jergels November 14

Second Annual Peace, Love & Emma Fundraiser Set for Jergels November 14

McCandless, PA – Out of an unimaginable tragedy has come an outpouring of good through the Emma Munson Foundation. A young artist who died tragically in October 2013 during her first year of college at Virginia Commonwealth University, Emma had a passion for the arts, the environment and her fellow man.

Her parents, Michael and Denise Munson of McCandless, created the Emma Munson Foundation to honor Emma’s life and loves.

To help the foundation continue its work, Peace, Love & Emma, a celebration of music and art to benefit the Emma Munson Foundation, will take place on Saturday, Nov. 14 from noon to 5 p.m. at Jergel’s Rhythm Grille in Warrendale.

In its second year, this fundraiser will feature music by Father Time, Joe Grushecky, Camelia Road and Act One performers, along with basket raffles, local artisans selling their wares and a light buffet with cash bar. Tickets are available at www.Jergels.com
with a suggested donation of $25 for adults and $15 for students. More information is available at www.peaceloveemma.com.
“Our mission is to promote charitable activity to improve the quality of life and we hope to spark a volunteer movement especially among youth via Emma’s Peace Gang,” said Michael Munson, Emma’s father. “We have chosen to honor our beautiful Emma by taking her inspirations to help others and to make the world a better place.”

Emma’s Peace Gang is designed to help spark a volunteer movement – especially
among youth. Through Emma’s Peace Gang, the foundation is working to organize volunteer activities (individual and group) and encourage active participation throughout the year. Activity is tracked as the foundation also “solicits” funding for each hour volunteered. The money raised will be recycled back into the world through the programs and inspirations of the foundation.

Already the foundation has launched a number of key initiatives to benefit the arts, mankind and Mother Earth. Among just a few of the projects undertaken in its first year, the foundation created Emma’s Project Earth, based off a scrap of paper left by Emma listing a few simple items: recycling committees, tree planting and roadway clean-up.

Since August, more than 21 trees were planted around the world (five continents, 11 countries and 13 US states) to honor what would have been Emma’s 21st

birthday on September 25th.

Proceeds from the November 14th fundraiser will help grow Emma’s Project Earth as well as fund 2 new initiatives – Henry’s List and the Art Bus.

Named after a man who lost his job this past year, Henry’s List will help create the “Angel Tree” concept year round, by aligning those with specific needs with those who may be able to help. The Art Bus will be a way to literally take “art on the road” to places where programs have been either cut or otherwise sidelined and bring the visual and performing arts directly to children through the use of a volunteer network.

After last year’s inaugural Peace, Love & Emma fundraiser attracted nearly 500 people, the foundation took the money raised and funneled it back into the world through significant donations to established charities, one from each of the three themes that inspire the foundation.

Just before the end of 2014, 50 of Emma’s friends, family and supporters gathered at the Sisters of Divine Providence Mother House to help eliminate hunger through Stop Hunger Now. The foundation participated in an “assembling event,” packaging over 10,000 meals using the Stop Hunger Now process.

One of Emma’s goals was to hike the Appalachian Trail, going to school in Richmond brought her closer to the trail and she was beginning to make plans. Because nature was so important to her, the foundation chose to support the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s “Trail To Every Classroom” (TTEC) program through sponsorship of a teacher who was committed to the ideals of the program.

Finally, the foundation was a supporting sponsor of SWAN (Support Women Artists
Now) DAY, an international holiday designed to showcase the power and diversity of women’s creativity. Two of Emma’s acting instructors (Tressa & Don DiGiulio) are coordinators for SWAN Day Pittsburgh and a portion of the funds raised went to the local SWAN Day celebration which includes local artists, dancers, singers & actresses.
Emma was a SWAN as part of a past event.

The foundation also supported more than a dozen organizations over the past year in a diverse range of needs, from a donation to Father Ryan’s Art Center in McKees Rocks for children without means to endowing the first 2 years of the Emma Munson Act One “Inclusion” scholarship; and from making Earth Day donations to organizations in Montana and Nebraska to planting trees through Our City Forest in San Jose, Calif.

For more information, go to www.emmamunsonfoundation.com. Contact the Emma Munson Foundation by calling 412.945.7363, emailing
info@emmamunsonfoundation.com.

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