Charities

As we noted, the most important gift we'd like to receive is to spend time with our friends and family. Given how busy many of us are, we know that's probably the most expensive gift we could ask, and we're extremely grateful for it.

If you truly feel it would be impermissible to attend without a gift, a donation in our name to one of the following charities would be welcome (and likely do more for the world than another coffee maker! grin.):

Geoffrey S.H. Fuchs Memorial Music Study Program
Reading Music Foundation

The Fuchs Family has established a multi-year scholarship program with the Reading Musical Foundation to provide private music lessons to one Reading Senior High School student each year. The scholarship recipient is selected based on his or her notable music potential and financial need. The program is in memorandum of Erica's brother and Peter and Myrna Fuchs' son, Geoffrey S.H. Fuchs, who died of melanoma on August 3, 2002. Geoff began studying music with the piano at age 4. He later took up the clarinet as well as other reed instruments, including the alto and bari saxophones. While Geoff's early piano years took off to a rocky start (ask Peter and Myrna about the dinosaur songs), Geoff fell in love with music and in particular with jazz under the direction of Glen Brumbach, the director of the Reading High School marching and jazz bands, both bands in which Geoff played. In his sophmore year of high school, Geoff began taking private lessons in jazz first in New York City at Columbia and later under David Leonhardt, in Easton, PA. Geoff went on to concentrate in music as an undergraduate at Harvard University. He took a leave of absence from formal studies in the fall of 1999 after his sophomore year of college to join the thriving art scene in Berlin, Germany, as a jazz pianist. There, he focused on improving his performance-ship, playing with multiple bands including the acid jazz band, Lunar. In Berlin Geoff also met his wife, Nina (Eberhardt) Fuchs, whom he married on March 30, 2002. Geoff returned to Harvard University in the fall of 2001, where he continued studying music until his death. The Fuchs family hopes this scholarship will help other budding musicians find the love of music that Geoff both found and brought to his family.

Donations to the Geoffrey S.H. Fuchs Memorial Music Study Program can be made in honor of Dave and Erica's wedding at http://www.readingmusicalfoundation.org/donation.aspx or by calling (610) 376-3395. On the online form, click the circle next to "I prefer my gift to benefit..." and identify that you wish for your donation to go to the "Geoffrey S.H. Fuchs Memorial Music Study Program."

Electronic Frontier Foundation

From the Internet to the iPod, technologies are transforming our society and empowering us as speakers, citizens, creators, and consumers. When our freedoms in the networked world come under attack, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is the first line of defense. EFF broke new ground when it was founded in 1990 - well before the Internet was on most people's radar - and continues to confront cutting-edge issues defending free speech, privacy, innovation, and consumer rights today. From the beginning, EFF has championed the public interest in every critical battle affecting digital rights.

Donations to the Electronic Frontier Foundation can be made in honor of Dave and Erica's wedding at https://w2.eff.org/donate/

Union of Concerned Scientists

The Union of Concerned Scientists is the leading science-based nonprofit working for a healthy environment and a safer world. UCS combines independent scientific research and citizen action to develop innovative, practical solutions and to secure responsible changes in government policy, corporate practices, and consumer choices.

Donations to the Union of Concerned Scientists can be made here in honor of Dave and Erica's wedding.

While the above are Dave and Erica's top charity picks, they would also welcome donations in their honor to the National Hospice Foundation, Planned Parenthood, the Human Rights Campaign, or another charity of your choosing.

Many sites offer to send acknowledgement of the gift to the honorary individuals, and ask for the name and address of the individuals being celebrated. If you would like to tell us, we would love to hear of your giving!

David Andersen and Erica Fuchs
4216 Centre Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213