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Donations help students who lost instruments in Marshall Fire

The donation drive starts March 7 and runs through March 20.

BOULDER CITY, Nev. — When the Marshall Fire burned through Boulder County, it took everything big and small from some kids in the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD).

"We had a lot of students who lost their homes and also as a part of that, lost their instruments," said Aubrey Yeh, BVSD coordinator for Language Arts and Humanities. "And so we have over 100 instruments lost in the fire."

Yeh coordinates elective programs for Boulder Valley Schools including band and orchestra. She said musical instruments are expensive to replace and often take time.

"Where are we going to start with replacing all of these instruments?" Yeh said. "Either the financial side or just where do we find all those instruments right away?"

Yeh turned to Bringing Music to Life. 9NEWS partners with the nonprofit every year to get people to donate used musical instruments for struggling school programs around the state.

RELATED: Bringing Music to Life helps build new music program at Colorado high school

"This is the first time that we've had the opportunity to help out in this way," said Steve Blatt, the Bringing Music to Life executive director.

Blatt said this was not the original design of Bringing Music to Life, but he said this year, it was meant to be.

"We ended up with more instruments from our last drive than we expected and sure enough when the word came out that they were hurting very much in Louisville and Superior, we thought okay, let's do our part," Blatt said.

RELATED: Bringing Music to Life kicks off for 2021 with hopes to bounce back from pandemic effect

For students who were left with ruins, Yeh said she believes finding them an instrument helps them not feel like victims again.

"If they're in school and they don't have something to play while many of their classmates do, that doesn't feel very good," Yeh said.

Blatt said Bringing Music to Life is donating 40 instruments from violins to trombones to guitars.

"Our repair partner, the Colorado Institute of Musical Instrument Technology, went into overdrive to get these done quickly for the Boulder Valley School District," Blatt said. "We're trying to find out what the needs are, what specifically do they need then check with what we have and try to match it."

Yeh said these instruments can help with a student's mental health after losing it all.

"Music is wonderful and healing and a way to express things beyond words often and there are a lot of emotions going on right now obviously," Yeh said.

Yeh said she is thankful Bringing Music to Life can help.

"It has been huge and really taken a weight off my shoulders in terms of just being able to take care of these kids and focus on that," Yeh said.

The Bringing Music to Life Instrument Drive runs from March 7 through March 20. 

If you want to find out where to donate a used musical instrument or donate money to help get them repaired and refurbished, click here: BringMusic.org

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