Taking instruments to NC schools
Pam Dudding
Special to The New Castle Record
If there is one thing Craig County is known for, it’s “heart”. Residents of Craig are natural givers.
This past week, Rick and Laura Dudding have teamed up with The Feel Good Tour and will be delivering hundreds of donated instruments, each in their individual cases, to schools in North Carolina where devastation hit terribly.
Laura had previously met the team of The Feel Good Tour and recently, the conversation came up that they needed to take instruments to schools that were destroyed by the recent flood.
“We heard about the devastation that happened with the hurricane which occurred during our wedding at the end of September, I just knew we had to help in some way,” Laura shared. “I saw that the Feel Good Tour was going down and trying to get a large trailer to take more than their small mini vans could hold, I told Rick who has a huge heart for kids. We had the trailer, so it was a no-brainer, and Rick jumped on the opportunity.
Rick has been known to do fund-raisers for kids in Craig and also has taken supplies to other areas that have been devastated over the years and Laura has helped others as well with her donor fund.
“I choose to do this because it’s what I like doing, helping others in need whether it’s kids with disabilities or helping family’s that was affected by floods that lost their livelihood,” he said. “I did this for West Virginia in the White Sulphur flood and in Florida when the hurricane hit several years ago, and a church was totally flattened. I will do all I can to help those in need.”
He added, “This trip to North Carolina with Bill and Al with The Feel Good Tour means a lot to me to be able to use the trailer to help them with the instruments of getting them to places and schools that lost all their equipment and for the bands to be able to reassemble again.”
Both Rick and Laura spoke of what a blessing it was for them both to be able to do this, as both of them have come close to death and are grateful to be alive to be able to ‘pay it forward’.
In fact, Rick just got out of the ER at 4 a.m. Saturday morning.
“I was given another chance at life and told to do good, which I been trying like crazy to help others,” Laura said. “And you know music is in my blood, so since I suck at playing, this is my way of contributing. Who knows one of those kids may be a famous musician one day!”
“Yes, to be able to do this is a blessing from God so I’m looking forward to this trip to help,”
Rick said.
The Feel Good Tour is the same organization that provided instruments to Craig County Schools about four years ago. Bill Hudson and Al Coffey did a presentation to the McCleary Elementary Students and donated several instruments to the music department.
“Sometimes folks ask us how we got started and to say we were flying by the seat of our pants would be one way to put it, but we knew where to go (Katrina) and our mission was to go and play live music in the field and make folks feel a little bit better. That was it,” Hudson shared.
He told how he “stole” this idea from Pete Seger.
“Seger told me many stories about he and Woody, and it sounded like they did not have much money. Someone on the West Coast asked him to play for a Union Hall but they couldn’t pay a lot of money but off they went. So as it turns out we were like firemen putting fires out and going to isolated areas and playing at feeding centers like to the Love Cafe Rainbow (where they fed 1500 per day) or at a firehouse base or playing at what was a house and the family that survived,” Hudson continued with his story. “Simple yet powerful, letting the music do what it does.”
They have made 13 trips down to the Gulf Coast.
“We are going on 20 years, so hard to believe!” he exclaimed with a smile. “We are still going by the skin of our teeth, but even that is not possible if it was not for the support of hundreds of you giving us that one instrument that was just sitting in the house not being used.”
They were happy to report that they now have “the loving support” of Habitat for Humanity.
“Also, it would not be possible if it was not for Guy Nouri who supported those 13 trips and our mission. It would not be possible if it wasn’t for folks that have put your money into keeping our dream alive and we thank you!” Hudson added.
So on November 20 this four person crew will land in Asheville North Carolina.
Rick and Laura Dudding used their 20-foot trailer to load up instruments, propane tanks, shovels and much more.
Some of the donors for The Feel Good Tour were:
- Habitat for Humanity-Roanoke, hand sanitizers, hand and body wipes, tarps, shovels and a hand fork lift, and allowed them storage while collecting
- Hungry for Music- Jeff Campbell
- Janice Roberts Memorial Park, Charlie & Margo Walker – 60 small Coleman propane tanks
They will leave for Boone Monday morning and the first stop will be the community college where the K-8 Valley Crucis School is temporarily being housed as their school was wiped out by the flooding, where water rose to four feet.
Their second stop will be in Asheville to give equipment to a music studio that lost everything. Then on to other schools around Asheville.
But their trek is not over as their plans are to return to North Carolina in January with The Feel Good Tour.
“Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others,” Laura shared. “And I really believe that music heals.”
“We will hope to bring some light with music, simple yet powerful,” Hudson “Still Pickin” said. “It is the darkest times for some; it is the time to light the candle.”
The Duddings also received a blessing before leaving on this first trip. Someone passed the word that they had extreme travel expenses.
Due to this expensive venture of travel and gas prices, generous citizens of Craig County chose to pitch in and provide gas money for their trips to Woodstock, the travel back and forth to Habitat for Humanity and then the trips to the North Carolina schools. Their gas costs were almost covered with these donations.
And, a couple of local merchants provided a meal and wonderful snacks for the traveling.
“We hope to go back with more stuff and toys in December, so God be with my wife and I as we embark on a new journey of helping a needy hand,” Rick finalized, as Laura added. “We are blessed to be able to do this! God provides!”
Courtesy photos
