July/August 2000


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Picture Page of
The Gathering

 




"Court stole the show with his incredible
music and showmanship...
there were times when you could have heard a
pin-drop
in the room
everyone was so
focused on his
technical style"

-Michael Tamburello



LFC artist Court Shontz appears in a follow-up story on The Gathering in the Inland Valley
Daily Bulletin newspaper

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"In the few days
I was there, I met several people of all ages. People who hurt just like me. People who knew exactly how I was feeling."

Elisha Encinias
Columbine Student

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



"I feel that it is important to keep giving all of the families the opportunity to get together, to be able to talk things over with people who really know what they are feeling and talking about. I also feel that it is of great importance that our select group does not grow any larger!"

-Michael Nickolauson
Springfield, Oregon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 




 

 

 

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The Gathering

 

Victims of School Violence Find The Gathering Inspirational with Plans to Make it an Annual Event

The first national meeting of the victims and survivors of school violence in Ontario, California was a success. Sponsored by the Ontario Police Department, it officially began on August 4th with a midday press conference at the Ontario Airport Marriott where local politicians, business people, project organizers and victims of school violence spoke.

Later that evening, a private and informal concert for the families was held at the San Antonio Baptist Church in Upland, a town several miles east of Ontario at the base of Mt. Baldy. The concert featured local California musicians and artists from The Lullaby for Columbine CD, Court Shontz a Littleton High School graduate and LFC producer, Michael Tamburello, who performed several songs.

"Court stole the show with his incredible music and showmanship. The young people really connected with him immediately and there were times when you could have heard a pin-drop in the room everyone was so focused on his technical style", said Tamburello, who performed the title cut and a song by Brad Richardson titled "A Colorado Columbine".

On Saturday, a public concert was held in Ontario at Chaffey High School Stadium for young adults and teens where Court again played along with other local and regional bands such as Antigen, The Rockets, and Last Word along with 13 others. The event also featured skate board demonstrations by a local skateboard artists and celebrity appearances including television star David Lago of the daytime soap drama, The Young and the Restless, who signed autographs. Nina, Michael Tamburello's fifteen
year old daughter who is a fan of the TV show, couldn't wait to get her signed photograph of him.

"I didn't care much for the loud music, but it was worth coming to the concert just to see David who's so cute and is such a nice guy who cares about people", said Nina who enjoyed meeting the Columbine students for the first time and making friends with many of the other young people from around the country as LFC's "teen ambassador".

LFC had a booth along with several other organizations who also co-sponsored the event. CD sales were low due to a relatively small turnout
for the concert. Organizers said they advertised the event quite heavily in Ontario, but at one point during the day, the quantity of police guarding the event seem to outnumber the audience which consisted of mostly young people standing directly in front of the stage, which changed in size depending on which band was playing. Jon Dudley, of Birmingham, Alabama, one of the event's organizers, said that success was not based on how many showed up, but what the families were able to return home with in their lives.

Some members of the police department wore two hats that day like Detective Byron Lee who was also producer for the concert.

"At times it got a little disorganized, but all in all, I think everyone had a great time",
he reflected in a hot California sun.

After the concert, the families attended an informal picnic in an outdoor volleyball court behind the San Antonio Baptist Church sponsored by Stephanie Curtis of California Cares for Colorado, another one of event's major organizers. It became another magical time when the families spent relaxing time together and had another chance to bond

Afterwards, everyone headed back to the Comfort Inn to cool off in the pool and "hang out" till the early morning hours laughing, sharing stories and packing away several dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts. A couple of times, hotel management had to come out to ask everyone to temper their enthusiasm so the other patrons could get their sleep as laughter sometimes became so passionate, especially over Rich Petrone
's jolly demeanor which everyone appreciably became addicted to.

"I really enjoyed the opportunity to come together with other families who had their lives impacted as I have with the death of my son" reflected
Sue Petrone, mother of Daniel Rohrbough who died at Columbine. "Coming together was not an easy thing to do but it was extremely rewarding. Laughter and tears are all an integral part of the healing process and we certainly shared a lot of both, especially the laughter. I formed new friendships that will continue to grow with time."

On Sunday, many of the families headed out for a short day at Knott's Berry Farm which arranged a photo session for their company newsletter at the amusement park's entrance and generously provided free passes for the families.

Everyone who came to The Gathering was impacted by it in their own special way. One thing everyone enjoyed very much was the unique camaraderie they shared together. The community was very supportive including the local newspaper,
The Daily Bulletin, which gave the event "front page treatment" on their Saturday and Sunday editions with color pictures including shots of the Columbine victims at the press conference and LFC's Court Shontz performing at the public concert.

Speaking candidly on the event, Columbine student, Elisha Encinias, who was close friends with Rachel Scott reflected, "In the few days I was there, I met several people of all ages. People who hurt just like me. People who knew exactly how I was feeling. They shared their stories with one another, and I shared mine with them. I offered them as much help as I could possibly give, and they offered help back. We had just met, yet we all felt as if we had known one another for years. We were connected. We had all faced these senseless acts of violence. We had all looked tragedy in the face and lost the ones we loved. Although our loved ones are gone, we have acquired a kinship with others like ourselves. We have become a very tight knit family."

Mike Johnson, of Columbine High School, who was shot in the head and survived poignantly remarks, "Columbine is now only a little more than a year out of it, and it still seems like it will never end. To see other people in different places who have had a little more time and have moved on helps us realize that things will get better." He wrote a story in this issue of LFCNews which further details what The Gathering meant to him. Be sure to read Mike's Story.

The thoughts of Michael Nickolauson, of Springfield, Oregon who lost his son, Mikael, in the Thurston High School shooting probably summarizes best what many experienced at The Gathering.

"The whole time I was watching those children get a new lease on life, I kept thinking about Mikael, knowing how much he would have enjoyed the Gathering! For me it was great opportunity for me to get to know other parents, who had also gone through what I have. It gave me a new group to talk to about things where I also don't have to worry about them not understanding. I feel that it is important to keep giving all of the families the opportunity to get together, to be able to talk things over with people who really know what they are feeling and talking about. I also feel that it is of great importance that our select group does not grow any larger!"

The spirit of The Gathering continued in Littleton the following week for the Columbine families when they met with their extended families and friends on August 9th to tour the newly completed atrium at Columbine School. Stephanie Curtis and Thurston High School graduate, Amber Hensley, drove out from California to join them in the viewing of the new facility which their organization helped raise funds for through a twelve city trek they made across the country last Christmas called "The Twelve Stops of Christmas".

"It was really great to see the satisfied expressions on so many of the parents and students who studied every detail of the new atrium," said Stephanie. "I believe the change will be powerfully healing for them, especially since they played a personal role in its creation."

Afterwards, the Columbine families met for an informal dinner specially hosted for them at a nearby restaurant where they continued to enjoy each other's company and talk of all of their experiences with The Gathering.

Because of the positive impact The Gathering has had on all who attended, many of the families are looking toward holding it annually to remain bonded and keep the healing process in check with one another. Plans are being discussed for such an event like this in other cities across the country who have experienced school violence. Colorado is being looked into as possibly the next place where an event like this might again be held in 2001.

All of us at LFC thank the great people at Pegasus Travel in Denver who worked very hard preparing the travel arrangements for the Columbine families to attend The Gathering. We also thank America West Airlines who generously discounted their airfare to us, and we express our heartfelt gratitude to Captain Katie Roberts and
Detective Byron Lee of the Ontario Police Department, Mike Cohen, Charlene Butolph, Jon Dudley and Stephanie Curtis for their many thankless hours of coordinating everything. LFC is very proud to have been a co-sponsor of this wonderful event which played an important role in the ongoing process of healing for all of the families.

Story by LFC News Staff

Newspaper screenshot courtesy of Inland Valley Daily Bulletin.
Copyright
© 2000 The Lullaby for Columbine Project.

All Rights Reserved.

 

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