THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 23, 1997 TAG: 9702230170
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAM STARR, staff writer
LENGTH: 67 lines
Bob Shepheard was so touched by a news report last week about the burglary of a Gloucester children's home that he had to do something. Anything.
But as owner of Piano Galleries in Virginia Beach, all Shepheard has to give are pianos. Donating a musical instrument wouldn't do much to help the home, but Shepheard and his wife, Susan, figured it could be used to raise money.
That's why Wednesday night they'll auction one of their Young Chang pianos worth $5,300. Money raised from the sale, as well as 20 percent of anything else sold that day in the store, will go to the Hopesville Ministries Children's Home.
Why all this generosity for a place and people they didn't know?
``We really believe that music is an important part of a young child's life,'' said Bob Shepheard, standing next to the new oak piano that will be auctioned. ``And the community has been good to us since we opened two years ago - we get a lot of business from the Gloucester area. This is our way of giving something back.''
Thieves broke into the gymnasium of the children's home a few weeks ago and stole a sound system worth more than $3,000. That loss devastated the small, nonprofit home whose primary means of raising funds is hosting bluegrass and gospel concerts on its grounds.
The Peninsula complex, run by retired Methodist minister Frank Seal, is home to five abused, neglected or abandoned girls.
But the theft was only part of the home's financial problems. During an interview last week with a local television station, Seal mentioned that they were $10,000 behind in operating costs. The oil company is threatening to cut off the home's oil if payment isn't made soon.
While Piano Galleries hopes to prevent that from happening, a Gloucester business wants to make sure the music keeps playing at the children's home.
Winter Sound Co. is taking donations for a new sound system, which it will sell at cost to the home and install for free. Manager Crysta Davis said the burglars ``hit one of my pet peeves.''
``You don't mess with children who have already been kicked around,'' she said. ``That's right up there with setting small puppies on fire.''
The outpouring of concern from the community has pleased Seal, who said that he is ``very surprised'' at the reaction. He and his staff have been fielding dozens of calls since last week, when the television interview aired.
``It's been spreading like wildfire,'' he said. ``We've had a number of calls from the Norfolk area from people who want to help in some way. We just praise the Lord for it.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by D. KEVIN ELLIOTT/The Virginian-Pilot
Bob and Susan Shepheard, owners of Piano Galleries in Virginia
Beach, will auction one of their pianos, worth $5,300, to help the
Hopesville Ministries Children's Home, which was hit by thieves last
week.
Graphic
WANT TO HELP?
A Young Chang oak Country Provincial piano worth $5,300 will be
auctioned at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Piano Galleries, 5033 Virginia
Beach Blvd.
Winter Sound Co. is taking donations for a sound system. Make
checks payable to Hopesville Ministries Children's Home and send to
Crysta Davis, c/o Winter Sound Co., P.O. Box 396, Gloucester Point,
Va. 23062. Or call (804) 642-6434.
Checks can be sent directly to Hopesville Ministries Children's
Home, P.O. Box 388, Dutton, Va. 23050. Or call (804) 693-3888.
KEYWORDS: BURGLARY FUNDRAISER