Donation protected
Hi, you don't know me, but here's a crazy story you can get behind.
About 6 months ago, I mustered up the courage to pursue my dream of building a guitar for Taylor Swift, but on August 18th, 2024 I got in a horrible car crash that jeopardized the entire project.
Call it fate, coincidence or a tough challenge, but this happened exactly 2 months before I was supposed to be driving to The Eras tour in Miami (Oct. 18th).
I’m lucky to be alive… but my project? That’s a different story.
I’m a professional artist and guitar builder, so I had been living off of my savings and driving at night to complete the project.
I’ve done projects like this before, where I’ve built guitars for other celebrities in the past including Jin Joo from DNCE and Jonny Buckland from Coldplay, but after the accident, I'm no longer in the position to keep doing this anymore.
My finances have been completely demolished and I don’t have a source of income anymore. I'm out of savings and I don’t even know where I’m going to get money to pay for rent this month.
A part of me wants to quit and let it all go, but the reason I continue to do these projects is to show myself and other people that good things happen to those who follow their dreams.
Plus, I’m no longer talking about me anymore…
Throughout the extent of the project, I’ve been able to summon 92K Swifties who added their name to the gift card by joining my @taysdreamguitar Instagram page. These are people from all around the world, with different ages, genders and economic backgrounds, but they all have one thing in common: the hope that I can somehow get this to Taylor.
I feel a HUGE sense of responsibility to not give up until the very end, but as of today, the way is very cloudy and I have no other choice but to turn to you and your support.
I cannot promise that I will get to Taylor, but I can promise that if I go down, I'll go down trying.
Below is a breakdown of the entire budget from my trip, plus a stipend that I require to fulfill the project. And if you were wondering, I still don't know if my insurance will cover any of this.
Light Up The World,
Jose
Budget Breakdown
1. Gas (Round Trip + Daily Driving)
Total Estimated Distance: 640 miles
Total Gas Cost: $89.60
2. Hotel Accommodations
4 nights at an estimated $150 per night
Total Hotel Cost: $600
3. Food and Meals
Estimated $60 per day for 4 days
Total Food Cost: $240
4. Daily Parking
Estimated $40 per day for 4 days
Total Parking Cost: $160
5. Rental Car
Base Rental Cost + Insurance and Fees (4 days): $360
6. Stipend
$120 per day for 4 days
Total Stipend: $480
7. Miscellaneous Expenses
Buffer for unexpected costs: $100
8. Monthly Overhead (September)
Includes rent, food, and time spent on “Tay’s Dream Guitar” project: $2,000
9. Rent and Utilities (October)
To help get back on my feet: $1,250
Grand Total: $5,279.60
Organizer
Jose Gallo
Organizer
Orlando, FL