FRAMINGHAM, MASS. (WHDH) - Whether you love to sing, dance, or have a passion for theater, there’s something for everyone at the Performing Arts Center of Metrowest.
“We offer private lessons in voice, instruments, [and] dance,” says the organization’s chairman, John Ebell.
Children and adults in the Framingham community have been learning at the center for close to 40 years.
“It was such a diverse area,” says Lynne Johnson, who has been with the organization since the mid-1980’s. “[It] had a real need for that type of program.”
The center is a non-profit. To keep its programs dancing along, Lynne, John, and the other board members hold fundraisers. A few years ago, they tried raising money through Facebook.
“You have to give them your federal ID, tax letter,” says Lynne. “You have to support that these are legitimate non-profit organizations.”
Lynn and John set up the center’s donation page. They kicked off their fundraising on Giving Tuesday – that’s the Tuesday before Thanksgiving known as a day to do good things. It worked. Year after year, the board would start the Facebook fundraiser on Giving Tuesday and the following February, it would receive a check from Facebook.
“We’ve raised a few thousand dollars each year through the Giving Tuesday program,” says John.
Last November, the board activated the donation page and raised $4,753. But there was a problem. The check never arrived. Facebook representatives promised to look into the missing money, but months passed and still no check.
“Can you keep operating without this money?” asks Solve It 7’s Kris Anderson.
“That’s a great question,” says Lynne.
“We’re talking about the ability to give private lessons to underprivileged kids,” says John. “Maybe as many as 10 or 15 children.”
Lynne called Solve It 7.
We contacted Facebook and told the representative about the fundraiser frustration. Facebook responded with an email explaining they had identified the issue within their system. They promised to work directly with the organization to complete the process. A few days later, the money came through.
“There was an electronic deposit to the Performing Art Center’s account,” says Lynne.
Facebook deposited all of the money raised into the center’s account, closing the curtain on this money mixup!
“Very professional group,” says John of Solve It 7. “Very dedicated group and in the end, I think made a huge difference in solving our problem.”
“We want to thank you, sincerely,” says Lynne.
John and Lynne say they will use some of the money they got back for scholarships so more kids can experience the center’s programs.
Got a problem you can’t solve on your own? Send an email to SolveIt7@WHDH.com or give us a call at 617-367-7777.
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