In 2012, New York’s 92nd Street Y Executive Director Henry Timms founded a project called Giving Tuesday. Created to be a day of generosity and community building, it was designed to bring awareness to giving, whether through donations, volunteerism, or acts of kindness. This project was supported by the United Nations and quickly spread globally. As the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival joins this worldwide day of generosity, we invite you to consider supporting the Festival’s work in our community. 

Giving Tuesday’s fundamental vision emphasizes generosity as an uplifting and connecting force to inspire positive change in the world. This vision reflects the very heart of our Festival’s mission. For the past twenty-five years, the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival has provided a profound gift to our island with enriching musical experiences of beauty, complexity, and creativity. Bringing and welcoming many of the world’s most accomplished musicians to perform, we have embraced the responsibility of building community around their performances through access, outreach, and educational programs. We understand that classical music has been shaped through the centuries not only by the genius of composers and performers but also by a longstanding tradition of patronage. 

There are countless ways to participate in this day of giving. Your contribution of any amount, your kind thoughts, or your interest in participating as a volunteer for the Festival will help secure the unifying role of music in our lives and culture. To make your Giving Tuesday gift, please visit our website at www.aicmf.org/contributors. You may also contact the Festival office at 904-261-1779, or send a check to P.O. Box 15886, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32035. If you would like to join us as a volunteer and support the Festival’s work firsthand, you can indicate your interest at aicmf.org/volunteer. 

In closing, I offer you words from a song written by Michael Hunter Ochs in honor of the 2016 Global Blessing from 92nd Street Y: 

May this be a year of love and kindness; may strangers come to be friends. 
May truth and compassion always guide us. Amen.  
May this be a year of hope and healing for all of those in need. 
May all of our deeds be a blessing. Amen. 

Most gratefully, 

Emma Mills Bledsoe 
President, Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival