The Kamloops Music Collective has bought 14 musical instruments, which will be donated to Parkcrest Elementary to bring music back to the school.

Executive Director Kim Mangan says their members were able to raise over $5,000, noting they wanted to help out after students at Parkcrest Elementary lost everything to the fire in September.

She says the new instruments will officially be presented to the school on Thursday.

“Orff instruments are great for elementary schools. They are the xylophone, marimba, glockenspiel family, so they are accessible for all students. The teachers at that school had some training as well, so we decided that the first line of action would be to replace a class set of those Orff instruments that can be used by the entire school.”

Mangan says the Kamloops Music Collective’s fundraiser is still ongoing, adding that people can still make donations online.

“So anybody who wishes to donate can do so through our online platform Canada Helps. If we are able to raise more instruments, it would be great to buy for example a class set of ukuleles,” she said.

“That’s another instrument that is really well used at the elementary school level.”

Mangan notes the donations came from local Businesses like Scorpion Technologies, local Music organizations like the Kamloops Music Collective, The Kamloops Fiddlers and the Kamloops Community Band and other smaller donations from local citizens.

There was also a donation from proceeds of an Elementary Band Workshop that was hosted by students at Grand Forks Secondary School.

(Photo via Kamloops Music Collective on facebook)