In addition to making a generous donation to local schools, Pappy wrote this touching song, and it is with his permission that we post it below:
Let me tell the story- I can tell it all
About a local pawnshop
That came to give it all,
to those needy students,
covering our land,
Who want to play an instrument
If they had it in their hand.
Money’s gotten tighter,
In these past few years,
You can see the disapointment
In our childrens tears.
But if we come together
Like the Beatles said
We can bring much joy
and put music in their heads.
And it’s for students, students
All across this land
Dust off that old instrument
And put it in their hand.
Students, students
Let’s give to those who need
Give the gift of music
And plant that early seed!

On December 1, Governor Sonny Perdue met with pawnbrokers from around the state to take part in the National Pawnbrokers Association’s Musical Instrument Gift Day. At least 8 Georgia pawn shop owners pledged over 70 instruments to donate to the Charles R. Drew Charter School. Governor Perdue selected the school at an event in his office with students, faculty and members of the local businesses making the donations. The school is a part of a successful initiative to redevelop the community of East Lake and will use the musical instruments to build a strong music program. Georgia native Dave Adelman, former President of the National Pawnbrokers Association, spear-headed the effort with the Governor. The Governor released an official proclamation declaring December 6th, 2009 Pawnbrokers Day.

On December 4th Lou Tansky, President of the Ohio Pawnbrokers Association and owner of Uncle Ben’s Pawn Shop in Cleveland, worked with pawn shops from across the state to donate a collection of musical instruments to the Louis Stokes VA Medical Center’s music therapy program.

The program uses music to address emotional and psychological needs of veterans, while assisting in rehabilitation. The donation took place at the Brecksville facility, which provides care to over 95,000 veterans each year in northern Ohio.

Ken Prine from Insta-Cash Pawn organized pawnbrokers in East Dallas to Donate musical instruments to the Longview Boys and Girls Club. Robert Nash the club’s director was on hand to accept the instruments along with children from the program.

Jordan Osborne from Insta-Cash Pawn coordinated a donation of several instruments to the East Dallas Boys and Girls Club.

Pawn shops in 17 states across the country are joining forces this holiday season to provide underprivileged children with hundreds of musical instruments. The National Pawnbrokers Association, who is sponsoring the event, has christened the effort Musical Instrument Gift Day, and the program is designed to put musical instruments into the hands of children who need them the most.

This effort is part of a larger program held in honor of St. Nicholas Day – Patron Saint of Pawnbroking – and National Pawnbrokers Day, December 6. Pawn shops across the country are organizing donation drives to supply badly needed musical instruments to local charity organizations and schools who, due to drastic budget cuts in state education funds, can’t supply enough instruments to form a small band. For more information on this effort, visit www.GiftDay.org.

Pawn shops traditionally have a history of donating musical instruments and awarding scholarships to support the young members of their communities. On December 1, Georgia’s Governor Sonny Perdue met with pawnbrokers from around the state to take part in the National Pawnbrokers Association’s Musical Instrument Gift Day. At least 8 Georgia pawn shop owners pledged over 70 instruments to donate to the Charles R. Drew Charter School, located in a troubled suburb of Atlanta. Read the full article…

Jim Clarke, better known as “Pappy” of Pappy’s Pawn Shop, keeps his place rocking with guitars, flutes, violins, and trumpets. His pawn shop looks a lot like a music store. It’s filled with all types of instruments. If you look around, it’s obvious Pappy has a passion for music. For him, loving music also means sharing it with others.

The National Pawn Brokers Association contacted pawn shops all around the country, asking them to donate musical instruments to local schools in their area. Pappy is donating a host of instruments to Knox County Schools.

“They’ve been underfunded this year and there are a lot of students that want to play and they don’t have the instruments to play,” Pappy says. “You want to plant that early seed and get them playing you know, cause it will really help with some frustrations.” Read the full article…

Published: December 08, 2009

A symphonic surprise for students at the South Carolina School For The Deaf And The Blind. Monday the students received new and gently used instruments thanks to the Downtown Spartanburg Lions Club and the National Pawnbrokers Association.

The school received everything from flutes to drums. The school says the instruments have been on their wishlist for a while. Click here to go to the school’s wishlist.

As part of the holiday festivities, SCSDB dedicated a plaque commemorating the Spartanburg Lions Club’s gifts to the schools over the last 76 years. Read the full article…

The halls are alive with the sound of music or they soon will be now that the students at the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind got their long-awaited wish!

Students were granted the gift of music on Monday. The surprise gifts were provided by Myrtle Beach-area pawn shops, including Dick’s Pawn, Jim Starnes, owner of American Pawn Exchange, the Downtown Spartanburg Lions Club and other members of the National Pawnbrokers Association from around the state of South Carolina. Read the full article…