KENT, Wash. — Last week, the Morgan Wallen Foundation made a donation of $42,000 to Mill Creek Middle School, coming as a surprise to school leaders like principal Matt Fitney.
“We were just shooting for the moon, not knowing what to expect. Then, we get this email,” Fitney said, “which kind of blew our minds... we didn’t expect that at all.”
The money will go towards 11 band instruments, 11 orchestra instruments, and dozens of bows and instrument accessories.
The accessories the district has found go through a lot of wear and tear between the 300 students who take part each year.
The instruments themselves will replace equipment that Mill Creek Middle School has had long before the days it was known as Kent Junior High.
“We need instruments, and in this day and age, money is tight, federal funding is tight, state funding is tight,” Fitney said.
Mill Creek is one of the most diverse schools in the state, with Fitney pointing to the more than 50 languages students’ families speak. Additionally, more than 80% of families qualify for free and reduced meals at the school.
“Choosing between an instrument at home and food, we don’t want families to have to make that choice, so we want to be able to provide them that access,” Fitney said.
The instruments also mean there will be enough for each student, allowing them to bring it home for practice, rather than having to leave it for another student to use in another class. Fitney hopes that this will continue to build excitement for students.
“We try and find that one thing that is going to buy a kid into a school community. The music and arts are going to bring a lot of kids in and open their minds to expression and creativity. That in and of itself is going to lead to better academic outcomes,” Litney said.
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