‘Honour your pledges,’ says telethon’s Lynne

THE 17th annual fundraising telethon in 19 years was held two Sundays ago and for the second time the beneficiary was the Foundation for the Arts.  Chairman of the Telethon for the Arts Committee, Lynne Murray, founded the event, having previously helped establish the Accident and Emergency Department of the Arima General Hospital and been on the founding committee of Montreal’s (Canada) Carifesta. She works as a senior consular officer in the Canadian High Commission. She is married with two grown sons.

Where does this woman get her expertise to initiate such worthy social projects, and equally important, how does she have such drive to sustain her commitment to these causes? Murray, a born Canadian, came to Trinidad 21 years ago with her Trini husband, Trevor Murray, who is acting permanent secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, both having met in Montreal at university. She graduated from McGill University in business and social work and served as a social/community worker for several years in Canada, later drawing on both academic disciplines to help set up projects which grew into substantial institutions including Carifesta and the Telethon. She recounted: “I established the Telethon in 1984 for the FPA and it has since assisted over 65 organisations through the years including the Rape Crisis Society, Cancer Association, Lupus Association and Blind Welfare Association.”

Having done the telethon for the FPA from 1984 to 2000, in 2000 the Government asked her to do a telethon to fund the Arts Foundation to help the medical, funeral and other expenses of needy artistes. She recalled the need of the late Ras Shorty I, Lord Kitchener and Lord Pretender. She got the idea for a telethon —as it was already a well-known concept in North America— and she had recognised the rich body of talent in Trinidad and Tobago that could be tapped. “It was about fundraising and to inform the general public of the work of organisations like the Cancer Society.” Praising the many volunteers who had made the recent telethon a reality, she valued the positivity it generated. “I was glad to see everybody come together. It was very gratifying to know everybody is concerned. Having a good time and camaraderie was very important. The artistes were performing for free, giving you a donation, and made an appeal for donations too.

Their enthusiasm really made you feel it was a success. “The telethon was the only organisation with so many volunteers to raise funds for charity.  The  Lions and Leos helped, as did 300 employees of TSTT including San Fernando and Tobago plus the staff of TTT. There were well-over 100 performers. Ministry of Culture employees attended and assisted. “It raised $200,000, short of our target of $300,000, although the Government will match what we raised.  The telethon was done Trini-style. Where in North America would you see the Minister of Culture (Pennelope Beckles) come backstage to greet the artistes and thank them for their performances, and when challenged on stage to sing, she actually does? That was the highlight of the telethon. She was totally involved. I really appreciated her support.”

Murray thanked all who had worked for the telethon. She said the Telethon Committee included members of the Ministry of Culture, National Drama Association, National Dance Association, Tuco, Pan Trinbago, National Carnival Commission, Copyright Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago and Studio 66. She recalled she had first fund-raised in Trinidad when her then infant son Justin had suffered an asthma attack and she had to rush him to the Arima Hospital. This institution then had resembled “a war-torn garage”, she recalled. As a result, she raised funds for a new Arima Hospital Accident and Emergency Department, soliciting used equipment from Canadian hospitals, and recruiting the help of the Arima business community especially the Maharaj Group of Companies. “We held mayfairs on the site of the hospital to show people what we were aiming for, to raise funds, and artistes including Denyse Plummer, Gypsy, Scrunter and Poser performed to raise funds for the hospital. The Governments of Germany, the Netherlands and Trinidad and Tobago also answered requests for donations.”

She was asked about her drive to voluntarily set up all these projects and whether she was a restless activist. She replied simply: “I guess so.” Did she come from a highly-disciplined background to achieve all this? She replied matter-of-factly: “You have things to do and you get it done.” Murray confirmed that she had always been involved in many activities and organisations. So where did she get her energy for this activism? She said: “I believe that unless you are doing something constructive, you are wasting your time. [Pointing] I agree with that poster, ‘Live your life; Don’t waste it’. I have been blessed in so many ways. I have a job I enjoy in a beautiful country where I am accepted. I believe in the Almighty, and He has blessed me all these years.” She also saw Trinidad and Tobago as being blessed, saying she had not once feared that political/ethnic tensions would seriously erupt.

How was she able to sustain her volunteer work and not be overcome by the negativity including fear of crime pervading society? “I try to think positively and do not allow the negatives to deter me.  As to someone taking your life, I don’t have that fear. I have believed in God since age 12. I put a lot of faith in Him daily. You have to pray for this nation. I see us getting better. Carnival was safer this year.” She and her husband worship with the Christ Circle for Better Living, Diego Martin. What advice would she offer, to form a broad and long-term vision for this society? “Education is the key. I know someone 26 years old, half my age, saying they want to do this and that but that it is too much trouble. If you have always wanted to say study accounting, then go and do it. Just two nights a week, it soon adds up and you will get your ACCA. You can discipline yourself. You are never too old. My mother was 55 years old when she graduated.”

Announcing that telethon pledges and new donations would be accepted up to April 30 at any bank in Trinidad and Tobago, she said: “I’d like to see the corporate sector get more involved with the artistes per se, not just the telethon. They tend to forget about it until they need someone to play a pan or sing the national anthem or open a function. They forget that it is the artistes’ main employment and it is seasonal and they are not privileged to have medical insurance. When they have medical challenges they are unable to meet them. We have a large pile of applications for assistance. Last year we gave $25,000 to one calypsonian for medical expenses and funded a chutney singer whose arm had been chopped and who needed an 18-hour surgical operation. And remember this year the calypso tents didn’t do too well. We have to help the artistes with their medical expenses. For artistes who have died in need, it is important that their contribution to society is not forgotten and that they are buried with dignity.”  In conclusion she urged Telethon donors: “Please honour your ledges”.