Fiddle Fund for Clancy Ward

Clancy Ward has been giving his time, talents, energy and music to the Duluth/Superior region for 20 years.   The people whose lives he's touched are many and diverse; if you're reading this, you are almost certainly one of them. This is the place to thank and honor Clancy by donating to this campaign to raise money for him to commission and purchase a new fiddle and bow.

Tragically, on a recent trip to Portland, his beloved fiddle was stolen out of his car. He's put out the word to the authorities, pawnshops, and his vast musical network to keep  an eye out for his instrument (pictured below!) and we are all hopeful that they will find their way back to one another.

In the meantime, his community of friends, collaborators, musicians, dancers, woodworkers, craftsman and everyone in between want to meet that tragedy with an act of support and love that surpasses it. 

When I met Clancy, early on in our musical relationship, he shared a Blind Alfred Reed song with me, the last verse of which goes like this:

"If he has no friends and everything's against him
If he's failed in everything he has tried
Try to lift his load and help him bear his burden
Let him know that you are walking by his side
If he feels that all is lost and he has fallen
Help to place this poor man's feet on solid ground
And when this world has turned its back against him
Always lift him up and never knock him down"

To know Clancy is to understand that this is pretty much how Clancy rolls. He's the first person to offer to help, lend a tool, share his knowledge, give the benefit of the doubt, do a favor, listen compassionately, or share a meal. Whether you know Clancy as a musician, a dancer, a craftsman, a collaborator, or most preciously, as a friend, you know that he's worthy of all the care and support we can give.  Let's show him that no petty act of theft can take away the circle of love and community that enfolds him, and it will always lift him up.