Meet Our Donors!

Who? Though her career has taken her outside of Henry County, Katie Lorton keeps family ties and giving opportunities in New Castle. A 2000 graduate of New Castle [Chrysler] High School, Katie was very involved in the band department. When former director, Mark Middleton, was leaving his position with the school, Katie came to visit with other alumni and wish Mr. Middleton well.

She recalled, “I had been thinking about finding a way to give back to the band program when I met with Ginger Jessop Rains. She had been doing work with the Foundation to set up a pass-through fund for the boosters. I had planned to write a check to help, but when presented with the option to give monthly, I found that was an easy way to keep giving back to an organization that really meant a lot to me.”

Why Give? While growing up, Katie’s family struggled financially. On the cusp of poverty but never quite crossing over the line, Katie knew what it was like to struggle to pay for extracurricular activities. Now, with a thriving career in library science, Katie wants to help build up the band program and make it possible for other students like her to participate.

She shared, “Giving in this context is important because band was so important to me. It taught me a lot of character skills like respect and responsibility, how to be a good sport and how to be professional. It’s where I first started to develop skills to be a leader. I know that band means a lot for kids, building soft skills and character skills, connecting with others, and having a place to belong. But I know the costs can be a barrier for some. I hope my donation can help more young people have that experience. ”

What do you want others to know about giving monthly through the Foundation? As a monthly donor, Katie sees the value in making a mark on the cause she cares about through consistent, affordable giving. Katie believes strongly that Philanthropy is not an activity reserved for only those with wealth.

“Anyone can give. The Foundation makes it easy for people to give at a level within their means. It’s manageable. It doesn’t have to be a big, scary lump sum. There are hundreds of band alumni out there, and if everyone could give a little bit regularly, then it would do a whole lot for the organization.”

If you want to help Katie in her efforts to raise money to support the New Castle Band department, you can donate to the New Castle Band Boosters Pass Through Fund or the New Castle Trojan Band and Guard Fund for the Arts.