It was Valentine’s Day and Lonny Anger just returned to his house from buying flowers and chocolates when a news alert flashed across his phone screen –– an active shooter was at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, his daughter’s school.
Anger called his daughter Avery and in a few moments received a text, reading in all caps: “Don’t call me, I’m hiding in a closet with my teacher.”
All day, Lonny held his breath, anxiously checking his phone to for the “three dots” signaling his 14-year-old daughter was typing a reply to tell him she was safe. SWAT team members eventually escorted Avery and the 64 other students she hid with to safety. In the days to come, they would learn that 17 of their fellow students and faculty members died in the shooting.
More than two months later, the Angers and the rest of the Parkland community are still healing. Some have done so politically and started the activist group Never Again MSD, which organized March for Our Lives. Anger, a UB alum ’91, and his daughter are looking to the arts and community work to heal their pain.
Lonny is the director and vice president of media relations for Shine MSD, a nonprofit organization created by community members that supports victims’ families. The nonprofit uses songwriting workshops to inspire students. They performed the songs at a benefit concert and sold digital downloads and merchandise, raising money for those affected by the shooting. The name comes from the song “Shine,” written by Stoneman Douglas students Sawyer Garrity and Andrea Peña, which became popular after a performance during a CNN town hall on Feb. 21.
Lonny said 100 percent of every dollar raised through performances, song downloads and merchandise sales goes directly to those in need.
“We have full discretion over how the money is handled,” Lonny said. “If a student was shot and lived, we can give money to their family to help offset hospital bills or any unforeseen expenses.”
The organization is still in its startup phase, but has already raised over $100,000, according to Lonny. The group raises the majority of its money through live performances, where Stoneman Douglas drama students sing songs of healing.
Shine MSD recently partnered with From Broadway With Love, bringing Broadway stars to Parkland for a benefit concert on April 16. The organization participated in similar benefits after the Sandy Hook and Pulse nightclub shootings.
As part of the benefit, students participated in therapeutic lyric writing, outlining how they felt after their traumatizing experience. Students were then paired with composers who helped make each song a reality.
Avery paired with composer and singer-songwriter Drew Gasparini. Justin Guarini, runner-up on the first season of “American Idol” and now Broadway star, performed the song at the benefit concert.
James Campbell, UB distinguished professor of political science, said the compassion that’s been shown to the victims and families affected by the Parkland shooting is remarkable. He applauds the efforts of organizations helping these affected individuals.
“All these people were just going about their daily business and were victims of a terrible tragedy,” Campbell said. “Organizations [like Shine] are the best way to prevent events such as these. It’s a good thing that we put these people first and care about the people that were hurt and killed in this tragic event.”
Campbell said the steps following tragedies like Parkland are always tough. He said regardless of peoples’ political positions, Americans need to show perseverance, patience and be reasonable with their expectations for gun reform.
“These efforts have to be sustained over a long period of time,” Campbell said. “All too often, there’s a little blip in public opinion –– Columbine or Parkland happens and a surge of outrage follows. Sometimes that’s understandable and not all well thought out. Then it subsides and disappears, and we’re back to square one. [There] has to be sustained effort on the part of those seeking some kind of change in public opinion.”
As Parkland continues to look toward the future, the organization will continue to help victims and their families cope with the aftermath of the shooting. Shine is still raising money, so none has been distributed to families yet, but Lonny knows it’ll be put to good use.
“The effects of the shooting are still unknown. Some will need therapy for years,” Lonny said. “Our mission is to assist in the healing of the victims through the arts. We consider victims not just the ones who were killed, but also the ones that were injured. We consider all within the school survivors.”
Max Kalnitz is a news editor and can be reached at max.kalnitz@ubspectrum.com and on @Max_Kalnitz
