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John Langenstein, Director of Security for several prominent bands has teamed up once again with David Shulman and The Mimi Fishman Foundation (MFF) to raise money for The Station Family Fund (SFF).
The auction, which coincides with the 4th anniversary of the horrific fire, will be the sixth in a series of fundraisers organized by Langenstein/Shulman to benefit the SFF. To date their efforts have raised over $75,000 for the SFF.
The Station Family Fund is an all-volunteer, 501 c 3 recognized, tax exempt, nonprofit organization, founded to offer assistance and relief to people directly affected by the fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island. 100 people perished, close to 200 severely injured, and more than 60 children lost one or both parents in the horrific fire on Feb 20, 2003.
The Station Family Fund will distribute every dollar raised by the auction in an effort to address the needs of the survivors and the families of victims.
"John (Langenstein) has certainly put together a wonderful lineup of rare and unique items”, says David Shulman, Executive Director of the MFF. "There is sure to be something of interest for fans of all music types. Our hope is that in addition to raising needed funds, we will also be helping to get the word out that there are children who lost either one or both parents, and need whatever help we can provide them. It’s been four years now since the fire, however help is needed now as much as ever."
The auction include items donated by a wide spectrum of artists including Phish, String Cheese Incident, Roger Waters, .moe, BB King, Bon Jovi, Ben Harper, Widespread Panic, Trey Anastasio, Fallout Boy, The Disco Biscuits, and many others.
"We have been overwhelmed by the support we have received, both from those donating items as well as those bidding on them. Working in the music industry, this tragedy hit me right in the heart. My desire to help those affected by the fire has only strengthened, and I am more determined now than ever to help out the survivors and the families of the victims", said Langenstein.
The auction can be viewed until March 12 at www.mimifishman.org
Information on the Station Family Fund can be found at www.stationfamilyfund.org
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Ex-Phish Manager Donates Items Featured in On-Line Charity Auction
The Mimi Fishman Foundation is pleased to announce yet another of a series of online charity auction. Teaming with Rock the Earth – a Colorado based non-profit - the auction features a wide assortment of Rock related memorabilia and concert packages.
John Paluska, the former manager of the band Phish, donated many of the items from his personal collection. Included are several rare t-shirt packages that date back to the early days of the band as well as other rare pieces of memorabilia.
Several other bands are represented in the auction including The String Cheese Incident, Umphrey’s McGee, Allman Brothers, Jack Johnson, Disco Biscuits, and Bonnie Raitt. The String Cheese Incident have donated several ticket/pass packages which are certain to attract quite a bit of attention as they only have a limited number of shows left with original band member Billy Nershi who recently announced he will be leaving the band in the summer of 2007.
Proceeds from the auction will benefit both Rock the Earth as well as the Delta Gamma Center for Children with Visual Impairments.
To view and/or bid on the auction, please visit the Mimi Fishman Foundation Auction Page. The auction closes December 3, 2006.
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Col. Bruce Hampton |
The Mimi Fishman Foundation is pleased to announce a new online charity auction. This time around auction proceeds will be donated to a friend – Col. Bruce Hampton (ret.), as well as the Delta Gamma Center for Children With Visual Impairments.
Whether it is with Aquarium Rescue Unit, Fiji Mariners, or the Code Talkers, many “jamband” fans are familiar with Col Bruce Hampton’s wonderful work over the years. Col. Bruce collaborated with Phish and others to start the H.O.R.D.E. tour in the early 90’s. He has also acted in movies like “Sling Blade” and Mike Gordon’s “Outside Out”.
In the spring of 2006, Bruce had angioplasty on several coronary arteries. His doctors say the operation was ‘text book’ and a complete success. This surgery coupled with the medications and lifestyle changes dictated by his doctors have forced him off the road for the first time in forty-four years. Bruce’s health is improving and his prognosis is excellent, however the costs of the hospital stay, clinic visits, and prescriptions are very high.
Bruce’s friends have been collecting donations to help with his expenses, however more our needed to meet the need. If the donations would exceed the need any access will be forwarded directly to Musicares, an organization that provides a safety net of critical assistance to musicians in times of need.
The friendship between Bruce and Mimi goes back many years. On March 30, 1996, the Aquarium Rescue Unit headline a show billed as “The Mimi Fishman Birthday Party”. The show, organized by Mimi, was a benefit to the American Glaucoma Society. Mimi’s philanthropic dedication was sparked by her love of music and her life dealing with the debilitating disease of glaucoma.
It was no surprise that Col. Bruce was one of the first to sign on to play at “The Tribute to Mimi” show on October 5, 2001. The show honored Mimi after her passing earlier that year and featured Col. Bruce and the Code Talkers as well as Merle Saunders.
“I remember Mimi coming to most of the East Coast H.O.R.D.E. shows. She was a great spirit. She would bring so much energy it would fill the room. And she would dance all night”, says Col. Bruce remembering Mimi.
It was also no surprise that Mimi’s son, former Phish drummer Jon Fishman, has stepped to the plate to in the Foundation’s desire to help. Jon recently donated many items from his past to the Foundation to help raise money for charities important to Mimi. Many of these items were included in one of the Foundation’s auctions earlier this year. What remains will be included in this auction for Col. Bruce, including various pieces of Fishman’s drum kits used on Phish tours as well as studio recordings – some dating back to the mid to late 80’s. In addition Fishman has signed all the items he donated.
“When I first approached Jon (Fishman) about organizing the auction for Col Bruce, he replied instantly with a “yes”. We both knew this is exactly what Mimi would have wanted us to do. She was always reaching out to help both friends and strangers – and that is the tradition the Foundation wants to continue to carry”, said Shulman, the Foundation’s Executive Director.
This auction also continues the relationship between the Foundation and the Delta Gamma Center. Mimi Fishman had glaucoma and was a huge believer of helping out organizations that provided assistance to the visually impaired, especially charities those that focus on children. The Delta Gamma Center is committed to helping infants and young children who are blind or visually impaired reach their full potential by providing individualized education, therapy, and support services to them and their families.
Ex Phish Director of Security, John Langenstein, has also donated Phish memorabilia out of his collection sure to be of interest to Phish fans.
To view and/or bid on the auction, please visit the Mimi Fishman Foundation Auction Page. The auction begins August 28 and runs through September 14.
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The Mimi Fishman Foundation is pleased to announce a new online charity auction. Teaming with both Conscious Alliance and The String Cheese Incident’s Gouda Causes, the auction features an amazing assortment of Rock related memorabilia and concert packages.
Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Jack Johnson, Margerie Minkin/Mike Gordon, Stanley Mouse, Umphrey’s McGee, Jackson Browne, and Les Claypool are among those who have signed items for the auction.
The String Cheese Incident, Keller Williams, Yonder Mountain String Band, and the Gathering of the Vibes festival have donated concert packages, several of which include backstage credentials and/or VIP passes.
In addition to the Mimi Fishman Foundation, the auction will benefit Conscious Alliance as well as the Staying Connected Fund.
To view and/or bid on the auction, please visit the Mimi Fishman Foundation Auction Page. The auction begins June 6.
Conscious Alliance was established in the spring of 2002, as a small group of dedicated students in Boulder, CO began organizing food drives in conjunction with music concerts and festivals. They have since formed and incorporated into a national 501(c)3 non-profit organization. By offering concert-goers an official event poster as incentive for donating 10 or more non-perishable food items, they have successfully collected and distributed over 500,000 pounds of much needed food donations to food pantries and impoverished Indian Reservations across the United States. www.consciousalliance.org
Staying Connected was established to help a dear friend of SCI (String Cheese Incident) with her battle against breast cancer. Gretchen Irwin’s strength and bravery has been an inspiration to SCI as they have stepped up with several items to help benefit her fund.
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The Mimi Fishman Foundation is pleased to announce several grants as a result of their recent on-line charity auction. The charity auction featured various pieces of Jon Fishman’s (Phish) drum kits used on tours and studio recordings. The auction also included several items signed by all members of the band Phish as well as artwork created my Mike Gordon (Phish) and his mother, Marjorie Minkin.
The grants included:
$3,798 to the National Braille Press (NBP) in the form of a sponsorship towards their soon to be released book, Who’s Afraid of Braille Music. The donation from the Mimi Fishman Foundation results in the book being completely sponsored by two 100% volunteer non-profit organizations with Phish ties, as the Mockingbird Foundation had already picked up the other portion of the sponsorship.
$2,500 to VSA Art of Vermont to help support their programs for disabled children.
$5,000 was given to the Delta Gamma Center for Children With Visual Impairments. DGC is committed to helping infants and young children who are blind or visually impaired reach their full potential by providing individualized education, therapy, and support services to them and their families.
$1,000 was given to the Triangle Arts Association. TAA is a not-for-profit arts organization whose mission is to support emerging and mid-career international and national visual artists, encouraging dialogue and experimentation through workshops, residencies and exhibition opportunities.
$1,000 was given to Healing the Children. HTC chapters across the country bring children to cities in their area, find medical professionals who will donate their services, and assign each child to a volunteer host family who will provide room, board--and love--for the duration of the child’s stay in the United States.
In addition, grants of $500 have been issued to each of the past four winners of the Mimi Fishman Memorial Award for Community Service, an award that has been given out annually at the Jammy Awards. The recipients being the Mockingbird Foundation, Panic Fans for Food, Conscious Alliance, and Headcount.
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The Mimi Fishman Foundation is pleased to announce an online charity auction of Phish related memorabilia. Former Phish drummer Jon Fishman has reached deep into his past to donate many artifacts sure to be of interest to Phish fans. The charity auction features various pieces of Fishman’s drum kits used on tours as well as studio recordings – some dating back to the mid to late 80’s. This impressive list of items includes Jon’s first kick drum which was used during the recording of "Junta" as well as early tour dates, his complete road practice kit, as well as many other gems from his equipment while with Phish. Fishman signed all the items he donated.
This auction is one of special importance to Fishman. "Since Phish broke up I've finally gotten around to going through all the piles of drum equipment I've accumulated over the years and setting aside the items I no longer need or will ever use again. There have been a lot of opinions about what I should do with them one way or another, but it's always been clear to me the best thing I could do would be to auction it off through my mother’s foundation to help raise money for those she would have been happy to support", says Fishman.
In addition, the auction features a unique item donated by Phish bassist Mike Gordon and his mother Marjorie Minkin (with funds donated to the Triangle Arts Foundation), items signed by Phish, laminates from Phish festivals/tours, as well as other rarities.
Mimi Fishman (Jon’s Mother) had glaucoma and was a huge believer of helping out organizations that provided assistance to those who were visually impaired, with an emphasis on those that focused on children. It is therefore no surprise that a portion of the funds raised will be directed to the National Braille Press (NBP) in the form of a sponsorship towards their soon to be released book, Who’s Afraid of Braille Music. The Mockingbird Foundation has already delivered a grant to NBP for half the book’s sponsorship. The donation from the Mimi Fishman Foundation will result in the book being completely sponsored by two 100% volunteer non-profit organizations, both with Phish ties.
"Jon (Fishman) and I have been talking about this auction for a while now. I am thrilled we were able to pull it together to help such wonderful causes", said Shulman, the Foundation’s Executive Director.
In addition to NBP, auction proceeds will also benefit two other organizations, Delta Gamma Center and VSA Art of Vermont. The Delta Gamma Center for Children With Visual Impairments is committed to helping infants and young children who are blind or visually impaired reach their full potential by providing individualized education, therapy, and support services to them and their families. VSA will use the funds to help support their programs for disabled children.
To view and/or bid on the auction, please visit the Mimi Fishman Foundation Auction Page. The auction begins April 2.
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The Mimi Fishman Foundation is pleased to announce a new on-line
charity auction. This time just one item, however a great one. The Wakarusa
Music Festival VIP Pass auction will begin March 10 and run for one
week. The auction will serve as the initial launch for a new Maximum
Bidding feature being introduced by the Foundation. Details can be found
on the Foundation's auction page.
This year’s Wakarusa Music Festival (Lawrence, KS) is shaping up at its most exciting lineup to date.
Scheduled to run June 8-11, this years lineup features such acts as Government Mule, Les Claypool, Yonder Mountain String Band, Bela
Fleck, Greyboy Allstars, Disco Biscuits, Robert Randolph, Keller Williams, Michael Franti, Gomez, Railroad Earth, ALO, Perpetual Groove, New Monsoon, Donna the Buffalo, among many others.
The VIP package is all inclusive including food, drink, VIP camping,
special viewing areas, etc.
To view and/or bid on the auction, please visit the
Mimi Fishman Foundation Auction Page
The auction begins March 10 and ends March 26.
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The Mimi Fishman Foundation has announced an on-line charity auction with
proceeds not only to benefit the Foundation, but also the Station nightclub fire
victims and surviving family members, as well as the Delta Gamma Center for
Children.
The auction, which will run through November 30th features over fifty items
including signed guitars, New Year's Eve ticket/VIP pass packages, and signed
posters. Every item is either signed, or rare. Bands featured include Phish,
Phil Lesh, The String Cheese Incident, Umphrey's McGee, Beck, Coldplay, Nickel
Creek, Def Leppard, Yonder Mountain String Band, KISS, Jack Johnson, 311, Brian
Wilson, Loretta Lynn, and many others.
To view and/or bid on the auction, please
click here
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The Mimi Fishman Foundation and The String Cheese Incident's "Gouda Causes"
are pleased to announce a new on-line charity auction.
We have teamed up with SCI, this time to auction off signed posters from every
2005 Big Summer Classic show. All funds raised from the auction will go to the
Zeke Barry Fund.
To view and/or bid on the auction, please visit the auction site at
http://www.mimifishman.org
To view and/or bid on the auction, please
click here
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The Mimi Fishman Foundation is pleased to announce a new and most important
on-line charity auction to benefit Conscious Alliance¹s Katrina Relief work.
Conscious Alliance is dedicating there current efforts to providing relief to
victims of Katrina. To date they have personally delivered over 250,000 lbs of
food to the Astrodome evacuees.
The auction once again features a large assortment of artwork and music
memorabilia, including many signed items and several ticket/pass packages. It
is no coincidence the auction has a heavy String Cheese Incident influence, as
SCI and the Madison House family has been one of the strongest supporters of
both Conscious Alliance and the Mimi Fishman Foundation over the last several
years. Contributing artists include Michael Everett, Scramble Campbell, and
Stanley Mouse.
To view and/or bid on the auction, please visit the auction site at
http://www.mimifishman.org
To view and/or bid on the auction, please
click here
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Beginning August 16 and ending August 28, fans of Umphrey¹s McGee can bid on
several special packages involving their Labor Day weekend Chicago (Navy Pier)
shows. Special treats include:
* Limited edition silk screen prints (Nave Pier show posters) signed by all
members of Umphrey¹s (Artist Jeff Wood, prints by Drowning Creek Studios
* Tickets to the shows
* Aftershow pass packages (meet the band)
* A 30-minute (one-on-one) guitar lesson with Umphrey¹s guitarist, Jake
Cinninger.
To view and/or bid on the auction, please
click here
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The Mimi Fishman Foundation is pleased to announce the newest in a long string
of on-line charity auctions. This time around the beneficiary will be the Delta
Gamma Center for the Visually Impaired. The auction began July 15 and runs
through July 25. Click
here
to view the auction.
Mimi Fishman had glaucoma and was a huge believer of helping out organizations
that provided assistance to the visually impaired, especially charities those
that focus on children. The Delta Gamma Center is committed to helping infants
and young children who are blind or visually impaired reach their full potential
by providing individualized education, therapy, and support services to them and
their families.
The auction features a healthy dose of Phish related items as well as various
other jamband signed items and festival packages. One of the more interesting
items is War of the Worlds poster signed by Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning.
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Our latest charity auction recently ended and was one of our most successful to
date with
over $14,000 raised, including $7,500 for Mike Gordon's guitar (100% donated by
Mike on behalf of the Foundation to Cystic Fibrosis
Foundation)! Organizations
supported by this auction include Conscious
Alliance,
Rock the Earth, The Delta Gamma
Center for the Visually
Impaired, and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Thanks to everyone who donated items and bid!
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On Tuesday night at the Fifth Annual Jammy Awards, The Mimi Fishman Memorial
Award
for Community Service was presented by David Shulman to HeadCount. Accepting
the award for HeadCount were their co-chairs, Andy Bernstein and Marc Brownstein
(bassist for The Disco Biscuits). HeadCount successfully registered over
50,000 voters during the summer of 2004, and were present at just about every
Phish and Dead show during that time. Information on HeadCount can be found at
www.headcount.org.
Marc Brownstein, David Shulman, Andy
Bernstein
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State of the Foundation
Greetings friends. Approaching our six-year anniversary, this is meant to serve
as a most informal communication regarding our past, present, and future.
Our Future: Many have asked with the end of Phish as we know it, will the
Foundation continue? The answer is yes! We have been lucky enough over the
years to receive stellar support from many good friends outside of Phish,
including but not limited to The String Cheese Incident, Yonder Mountain String
Band, John Langenstein, among others. That support has allowed us to continue
running on-line auctions of unique and rare music memorabilia and wonderful
ticket packages. The auctions have been the sole method of fundraising for the
Foundation. More importantly, we continue to offer vital financial support for
organizations that were important to Mimi and because of that our desire is to
continue moving forward with what Mimi began.
Our Present: We are currently preparing our next auction and it¹s certain to be
an exciting one. Targeted to begin in mid-May, the auction is going to benefit
several organizations and feature a wonderful variety of items. At this point
it appears the auction will be 40 (or so) items strong, including many rare and
signed pieces. Stay tuned.
Our Past: Personally, I am so proud of what we have been able to accomplish.
Aided by an all-volunteer staff (that¹s right, we all do this as unpaid
volunteers on the side of our ³real² jobs and personal daily activities) we
have been successful in our goal of keeping our expenses limited to 10% of the
total dollars our auctions have raised. I am pleased to tell you that of the
$182,867 raised from our auctions since our inception, $164,255 (90%) is in the
hands of the charities we support. The BBB Wise Giving Alliance has set the
benchmark that fundraising costs should not exceed 35% of the related
contribution. Our current 10% performance is not only well below the
standard, but is a statistic we are most proud of. We were only able to
accomplish such a lofty goal with the help of many friends. Our volunteers,
the bands/management which are so kind to donate the auction items, and of
course those that participate in our auctions through the bidding process. It¹s
that trilogy of help that deserves all the thanks for allowing us to be
successful.
From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you! See you down the road!
David Shulman
Executive Director
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