From time to time people call and say they turned in a book or DVD by mistake with their donation to the Friends. With all the generous gifts we receive from people, it can be like finding a needle in a haystack.
A recent example of this was a call from mezzo soprano Hannah Penn to Sara Lindgren, our office administrator, saying she had mistakenly given us her Ravel score, needed for her performance with the Portland Opera in April 2011. We had just loaded 610 boxes in our trailer for the fall sale. Could it be in there? Luck and a good memory led my assistant, Shannon Brown, to open a box of sheet music, recently packed, but destined for another trailer load. Et voila! Ravel was found.
Hannah was thrilled to hear from Shannon. She came to pick up her music, carrying a lovely thank you note and two plates of delicious homemade cookies in appreciation for all the work of the Friends. A triple threat; she sings, she’s thoughtful, and she cooks! We are not always so lucky, but we are always glad when the story has a happy ending.
