If you were an opera star (O fickle Moerae) and could use your amazing powers of popularity/prestige to raise awareness for a fledgling cause, or even dabble in philanthropy, what would you choose? Famine relief in Ethiopia? Amnesty International? A hefty donation to Doctors without Borders?
Leave it to the Fleming clan to trail-blaze and break convention by rationing funds towards middle school extra curricular activities.
On Monday, May 7, Renée Fleming and her sister Rachelle (who has carved a modest career as a jazz vocalist) will perform together in a special concert at the New Rochelle High School (New York, USA) to support the district's **fledgling chess teams**. OMG this is the nerdiest thing I’ve ever heard in my entire life. Whatever happened to a bake sale or a freaking car wash? What the hizzy, Flemings? I’ve seriously read this article 8x to make sure it’s legit. I am choking on drink from loll'ing. You know we love the Flemings, but this is way too easy.
Tickets for the event are $200. The reason for the whole "chess phenomenon" is that their brother Ted has been head coach of the Isaac E. Young Middle School's Chess Team in New Rochelle for ten years, and the chess program isn’t funded well enough to his liking. Ted wants $$$ to hire a omg GRAND MASTER omg to help the kids compete on a national level. omg halp halp whare r the good chess players plz halp us o gord!
"Ted Fleming sees chess as a path to higher education for some of his students who might not otherwise have the opportunity to attend college. To that end, he reached out to his sisters for help to raise the money needed to hire first-rate instructors."
This isn’t freaking Ghana, Ted! Last time I went to New Rochelle, Ted, I didn't need to bring malaria tablets. Cut the crap, Ted. But Ted Fleming can't be all that shallow of a man, sprung from the loins of i Fleming...natch, his page on RateMyTeacher.com champions him as "great chessplayer [but andrews better]".
neways, best of luck to the Fleming clan and their pet causes. I hope they raise enough money that they can buy new chessboards of cut diamonds and pawns of pink gold.