A community fundraiser was held this week to help the new Tucson School for the Blind cover expenses as the school officially opens its doors.
Retired Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and Blind employee Marcy Albert organized the Aug. 4 fundraiser at Jojo's Restaurant in Old Town Tucson after learning about the newly established school.
Jojo's hosts weekly "Tuesdays for Tucson" events aimed at raising money for local organizations. After hearing about the Tucson School for the Blind, Albert contacted school founder Kate Scally Howell to make the school the featured beneficiary. Ten percent of the evening's proceeds were donated to the school.
“I felt so connected to the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind and then so connected to what Kate was doing in the Tucson School for the Blind,” Albert said. “And to be able to connect that to my best friend's restaurant and fundraiser event, it just closes that circle for me.”
The Tucson School for the Blind was founded after the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and Blind closed its Tucson campus earlier this year. The closure, along with the relocation of ASDB campus to Oro Valley and the layoff of about 60 employees, prompted some students who are blind to enroll in the new school.
To celebrate the school's opening week, Scally Howell, a former ASDB music teacher, performed musical theater songs and Spanish-language music with her students on Jojo's outdoor patio.
“I practiced with the kids today and yesterday while they were at school,” Scally Howell said as she carried musical equipment from her car. “We are doing some songs that the kids did last year, so they are familiar with them.”
The patio was filled with former ASDB alumni, current Tucson School for the Blind teachers and community members who came to support the new school.
At the end of the evening, Schnieder presented Scally Howell with a $450 check from the fundraiser. Community members who were unable to attend also contributed an additional $200 in donations.
Scally Howell said the funds will help pay for school resources and learning technology.
She added that seeing the community rally around the school during its first week of classes made the event especially meaningful.
“We’re so excited for the kids to have a chance to sing and just hang out with other members of the downtown Tucson community,” she said.
