A Note of Thanks

September 24, 2015

Dear Friends and Associates,

We have finally reached the time for which we have been aiming, and the Violins of Hope Cleveland project has gotten off to a running start with momentum and anticipation still building. Amnon, Assi, and Avshi are here along with the violins.

Each of you had an important role to play for which I thank you. As the project unfolds, the whole community will see and feel the power of the violins that will speak on behalf of those who remain speechless, and the community will thank us, even though they might not know our names.

It is hard to think of the work done on the project as a labor of love, given the story and the lessons from mankind’s darkest hours. Yet the energy with which you approached the project, the intellect brought to it, the expertise, the sensitivities for the subject matter, the constant criticism that made things better, the tireless way in which problems were solved certainly call that to mind.

In my working career and my second career in the world of non-profits, I have never seen a partnership of organizations like this one that set the goals and created the means to achieve them without bickering, without rancor, and with a spirit of cooperation and support of both the project and of each other.

The overarching guide that each one of area’s most successful and prestigious organizations, in partnership with each other, do what it does best and at the level of excellence for which each has made its reputation, has worked magnificently.

Together, without any competitive issues, we raised the money for new initiatives. Each of us overspent our budgets, but did not let that stand in the way of achieving the desired outcome. There has been no complaining, just a pride in doing things at the highest level. It is amazing that new ideas were still being brought to the project as of last week.

I know that everyone took on Violins of Hope Cleveland in addition to their “day jobs”, with the added stress and pressure that goes with it. This has not gone unnoticed, and all I can do is express my thanks, again. By any objective standards, what we have achieved together is truly amazing.

With deepest appreciation,

Dick

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Richard J. Bogomolny
Chair, The Cleveland Orchestra