Dear Family and Dear Friends,

I’m again asking for your support for the Connor Donohue Music Fellowship at Ridgewood High School. To recognize and encourage your support, I’m again running the Jersey Shore Half-Marathon at Sandy Hook on October 2.

Training for this race takes months but I do it happily because I’m passionate about Connor’s Fellowship. I believe Con’s Fellowship is about friendship, community, music, service, and fun - oh yeah, lots of fun - you know, the stuff the Conman would love. I also believe the Conman is out there with me on the roads as I train. And on race day, at a certain point on the trail, I hollar out “Run Connor Run!” just like I did the last time he and I ran together.

I find it unbelievable that we’ve entered OUR TWELFTH YEAR of the Fellowship. Your support pays for private music lessons, musical enrichment programs like master classes, and service projects for their community.

The Fellows, with their advisor (who is a Connor Fellows alum), also give back by performing at elder residences and they have “adventures” like trying street performance in NYC. The Fellows also perform a recital at the end of the school year with some of the Fellowship’s alumni who reliably show up. I know each of these kids personally and I can promise you, they are all great young people that directly benefit from your support of Connor’s Fellowship.

With your help, Connor’s Fellowship has been a fantastic and touching success for 12 years. Thank you for your prior support and for considering supporting us again this year. If you’re supporting Con’s Fellowship for the first time this year, welcome - you’re becoming part of something great!

Much love,

Patrick J.

(Note, just like in previous years, Connor’s Fellowship works through the Ridgewood High School“Rhs” Band Association, Inc. to maintain our tax-free status for all donations.)

About Connor

Connor brought his love of music and Ultimate Frisbee from Ridgewood High School to Connecticut College. While at Conn, music major Connor initiated “New London Music Tutoring” linking music students and faculty to underprivileged students in local schools. He also captained the Conn’s Ultimate Team for 2 years. After college, Connor went to work for “Prep for Prep,” a respected non-profit committed to improving educational opportunities for under-served children. Shortly before his death Connor moved onto “Single Stop USA,” an innovative non-profit assisting thousands emerge from poverty. He served on the board of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network, NYC and was selected by NYU’s School of Service to join the Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Public Service.

While all that’s wonderful, this story from a college friend shows who The Conman was. “He was a constant friend to the underdog. When party-goers would ask why a particularly geeky or awkward person was in attendance, Connor would non-judgmentally reply, “I invited him, he’s actually a really cool guy.” It was in these nonchalant comments from Connor that would, without making anyone feel guilty, inspire us to be a little kinder next time.”