Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting victim Alex Schachter may be gone but his musical spirit will live on through the talents of 50 band students from 50 South Florida schools who received $50,000 worth of specially designed Alex Tribute Trombones on Saturday.
“I’m blown away,” said father Max Schachter at the ceremony. “To see Alex affecting all of these kids [with] his love of music expanding all across the state … it’s unbelievable.”
Hundreds of students and their families packed the All County Music store in Tamarac at 11 a.m. to receive their new trombones engraved with a motif combining Alex’s name and a trombone.
Apollo Middle School student Samantha Rodriguez, 12, of Pembroke Pines, was among those selected to receive the honor.
“It means a lot,” she said. “I was confused. I thought it was a joke for some reason but now I’m here and I’m kind of shaking.”
Her music teacher Bryan McCall was one of about 50 band directors who had the challenging task of nominating students.
“Alex can no longer go to college and get a [music] scholarship, but these kids can,” he said. “Alex can no longer say he’s in a band and he’s traveled and had all these great experiences, but these kids can through this foundation.”
Benjamin Collin Hobschaidt, 12, of Boynton Beach, was another of the lucky ones but he also wanted to give back.
He played his trombone on a Delray Beach street corner for a couple of hours Friday night to collect $304 for the cause.
“We decided to busk — that’s the art of street performing — so we did that to raise money for the Alex Schachter [Scholarship Fund] so kids could keep thriving and do what they love, which is music,” he said. “The money will go to the MSD marching band.”
Alex, 14, was a trombone player in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Eagle Regiment Marching Band and got his start in music at neighboring Westglades Middle School.
“The most important thing in Alex’s life and the thing that made him grow and mature is music,” said Max Schachter. “Every parent wants to find something their kid loves and enjoys and music can be that.”
The Schachter family, All County Music President Fred Schiff, and Conn-Selmer music company President John Stoner presented the instruments to the students, their parents, and the band directors.
