March 12, 2005

The Officer Down Benefit Concert on February 26th was amazing....as you can see by the current date, it has taken me a while to absorb and reflect on everything. Although I could go into extreme detail about the night, as it is burned into my memory as a nearly flawless event, there are only a few very simple things that really need to be said.

Meeting Molly's parents, others who knew her, and meeting Curtis Brown (the other officer wounded that night) was incredible. I hugged them, and tears that had been threatening behind my eyes all evening finally came forth. That was the moment it ALL became worth it.

The songs felt so right that night, imbued with higher meaning.

God was with us, guiding us. Must have been, because the band played better than ever, and I don't say that from an egotistical place, I just believe that it was meant to be a great night, even beyond us. The crowd gave us a standing ovation, which was a wonderful feeling since I truly felt it was not just about the music we had played, it was about the feeling we had given people. I hope, as I said that night, we gave them a little joy and a lot of hope.

The people who were there in the crowd that night receive my warmest thanks, and the appreciation of everyone in the band, and of the organizers, particularly Tim Fancher, who started the whole thing.

Next we must send out many thank you cards (and this will also be a digital thanks) to all the media supporters, those who gave donations, ticket outlets, and private individuals who helped make it happen. We will remember those who gave of their time, talent, energy, and hearts.

Perhaps in another e-mail I will speak more about the songs that night, some of the experiences I had meeting audience members, the venue and the cool things that happened, even a few amusing stories, and some of the post-show facts like how much money was raised, etc, but for now, let's just leave it at this: it was as it was meant to be. And it was phenomenal.

My heart, once again, goes out to Molly's family and friends, Curtis Brown and his family and friends, and my warmest thanks possible to everyone who supported the concert and the Officer Down Fund in whatever way they could.

Marisa, Shawn, Anthony, and Michelle: you guys rock! Family is what it's about.

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