A Cleveland legend needs our help
mainFriends have alerted us to this gofundme appeal:
For more than forty years, Chris Haff Paluck has been an educator, mentor to young musicians, concert presenter and arts manager at the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra, Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and the founder and moving spirit of Arts Renaissance Tremont (ART). She has been dedicated to providing great music at no cost to audiences of all ages throughout Northeast Ohio. And she has done all this and more without the benefit of a large supporting organization and without the slightest thought of personal remuneration or recognition. Through her crowning achievement, Arts Renaissance Tremont, the non-profit organization Chris created 28 years ago, she established a yearly program of free classical music concerts. Through ART she has not only given established musicians, but also aspiring young artists an additional venue to showcase their talents. It’s no exaggeration to say that generations of musicians and literally thousands of concert goers have been the beneficiaries of Chris’ unselfish commitment to enhancing the musical experience of music lovers of every age in our community including seniors at retirement communities and children at local elementary schools.
Now Chris needs our help. A few years ago Chris left her long-time position at the Cleveland Institute of Music. She also left behind most of her health care coverage. Since then, while continuing to soldier-on as artistic director of ART, Chris has endured a host of debilitating health problems including diabetes, lupus, and most recently, stage two metastatic breast cancer. Even in the face of these serious health issues, and coupled with trying to deal with the overwhelming cost of repeated lengthy hospital stays for several misdiagnoses, Chris insisted on planning and working on the ART concert series.
Hear an excerpt from one of the free concerts Chris arranged!
Chris’s many friends join together in earnestly urging that you consider a donation through “Go Fund Me” to help Chris cover the immediate and enormous costs associated with her health issues. Doing so would recognize the unique contributions this woman has made to the quality of life of so many in our community for such a long time.
Donate here.
No idea how Americans can accept this kind of thing. Best wishes to the lady. I will donate.
I don’t, either, and wonder if there is more to the story. She appears to be over 65, which means she is eligible for Medicare. Which doesn’t necessarily cover all medical expenses but it should cover a lot.
The people search pages online suggest she is 63, two years shy of Medicare.
Thanks for the alert. I was a member of COYO for several years and Chris was simply amazing. Not only a terrific manager but such a warm and extraordinary person. Best wishes to her and good health.
In every city, there are a few people who quietly turn a city into a community. Chris is one of those people. Out of solidarity with similar people in your own community, please consider this.