Our History 
Over the past 35 years People International, Inc. has traveled all over the United
States and Canada, performing hundreds and hundreds of songs for a vast array of
charities.
The first summer conference I attended was in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. They say
your first experience in PII is the best, but I think it's all so new that your
emotions get the best of you. That particular year, I witnessed a mock wedding
for a couple who had met several years earlier, at another conference, and were,
at that time, planning to be married. There was an elaborate slide and music presentation
by two brothers from Kansas, featuring songs and photos from years past, and more
new friends from more places than I'd ever imagined. That year, and the following
year in Louisville, Kentucky, we supported the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
One thing I found very interesting about this group was that the charities chosen
by the hosting members and cities were as diverse as the membership itself. Each
year, those hosting the conference review and choose the local or national organization
who will receive the proceeds from the public performance.
In 1990, our conference was held in Allentown, Pennsylvania where we raised money
for Spina Bifida research. We make an effort, at each gathering, to learn as much
as we can about our charities, where the money will go, and possibly spend some
time working with them in the community. In Allentown we had a chance to meet some
children with Spina Bifida, and speak to their families about the disease and how
it affects them. Also on the medical front, we spent a week in the summer of 1991
in St. Louis, Missouri, and supported the Cardinal Glen Children's Hospital. On
that trip, we were able to visit the hospital and tour the facilities, after which
we did a smaller scaled down performance for the patients.
One of the more personal charities we have sponsored is a place in Allentown, Pennsylvania,
called Jenn's House. Jenn's house is a hospitality house for a local hospital that
was set up in memory of the founder's daughter. It is a place for families to stay
when their children are being hospitalized. Through our 2 outings with them in
1995 and again in 1999, we've developed a personal relationship with the founders,
and keep up with their activities.
Not all of our conferences have been related to medicine. In 1987, we worked with
the Hutchinson Petting Zoo in Hutchinson, Kansas. That year we did an outdoor performance
at the Zoo, on one of the hottest days of the year. Luckily, the Zoo had a beautiful
pond in the center of the grounds. Needless to say, the entire cast of musicians,
dancers, and techies ended up barefoot in the water after the show!
Over the years, we've donated funds to many children's organizations. On three
separate occasions, in three different cities, we raised funds for Big Brothers
and Big Sisters. Three chapters of their organization in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin,
Kent, Ohio, and Dearborn, Michigan, benefited from our week there, and several
of our members were inspired to look into that group in their own cities, and volunteer
their time.
We've worked with Child Find, an organization in St Louis who tries to locate missing
children, Huron Services for Youth, a community organization in Michigan, and Channel
3 Country Camp, in Hartford, Connecticut. While in Connecticut, we had an opportunity
to put on a free outdoor concert in the center of downtown Hartford, presented
by Mayor Mike. In 1988, we worked with the American Field Service, to help with
their work to bring the world closer through cultural exchange. In 1997, we spent
a week in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin raising money for the American Red Cross, a group
to which our local members volunteer their time. During our annual charity presentation,
the representative from the Red Cross actually took our members through disaster
relief training, and although there wasn't sufficient time to become certified,
we all benefited quite a bit from the training.
In both 1989 and 1992, we traveled to Kent, Ohio, and supported Safer Futures,
an organization which assists battered women and their children. Our presentation
with them sent us away with some shocking statistics and a much deeper respect
for the kind of work that they do.
In 1993, in Richmond, Virginia, we worked with a local organization called the
Peter Paul Development Center. Through a presentation from it's director we learned
that the center, located in a high risk area of the city, works hard to keep kids
off the streets, in school, and off of drugs. Work with Peter Paul has inspired
us to continue a relationship with them. One of our yearly projects with the center
is to adopt and support a local family at Christmas time.
Certainly, for us, the most profound year was in 1997, when we chose to forgo our
existing plans, upon getting the news that one of our long-standing members, who
had been battling cancer for a year, was in need of a stem cell transplant. In
order to enter the program at the Medical College of Virginia, he would first have
to raise $18,000. Almost immediately, we set up Richmond for Rich, and set to work
on what seemed to be an insurmountable task. Between the proceeds from the performance,
and soliciting donations, and the efforts of Rich's family and friends in Michigan,
we raised in excess of $20,000. It's amazing what you can do when you know you
have to!
As PII enters the year 2009, we will be traveling to Allentown, PA, to once again
support the work of Jenn's House. Each year for us is a new adventure, and a new
chance to learn more and give more to our community and our world. What an incredible
opportunity we've been given to be a part of so many wonderful changes in our world!