35 Years and Counting

Dear Friends:

When you are working on projects and programs that you feel are fun and worthwhile, 35 years just fly by. That's how long I have been raising money for the Oregon Symphony.

When I began working with the Symphony it was a part-time orchestra with a much smaller donor base and, of course, a much smaller budget. All that changed when James DePreist came to town in the 1980 and Evelyn Nagel was the development director. Evelyn, along with lots of folks like me, worked hard to make Jimmy's dream of a full time orchestra and the move to the renovated Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall possible. We all believed that Portland deserved a first-class orchestra, and I am proud to have been a part of that endeavor.

If you asked me what I have gained as a volunteer, my best answer would be satisfaction:  the satisfaction of seeing musicians who are enthusiastic about their performances, and hearing them improve so incredibly over the years, especially since Carlos arrived; the satisfaction of bringing culture and music to school children of all ages, and not just in Portland, but all over the state through our great community engagement programs; and the satisfaction of knowing that the orchestra is an important factor in making Portland one of the most livable cities in the USA – a great city deserves a great orchestra. Downtown Portland is lively on Symphony performance nights, and that also gives me great satisfaction. And finally, there is the satisfaction of knowing that I helped people get involved in supporting the Oregon Symphony.

It's been a good run for me during those 35 years. I¹ve made many friends in the community; I've learned a lot about music; I've made friends among the musicians; and I've seen good results in the fundraising efforts of the Symphony Association. I am especially excited by the great success of the Miller Match campaign. If you haven't yet joined The 59 Percent Solution to help fill the gap between ticket income and orchestra costs, I urge you to do so today.

Personally, I've agreed to extend my relationship with the Symphony by serving on the Foundation Board. Seems I just can't say goodbye completely. There's still a lot of work to do to secure the future of our beloved orchestra.

Sincerely,

Gerald "Jerry" Hulsman