November 15, 2017
A gift of music
Around Town
‘Say Boo’ walk raises awareness, celebrates survivors P.3 Eighth Annual LSLPOA Holiday Charity drive P.3 Home security website ranks O’Fallon as Missouri’s safest large city P.6
School
FHSD recives nearly 500 coats for students in need P.8 Tom Ferguson (left) shakes hands with Tim Brack after Ferguson donated a trumpet to Brack along with lessons donated by the veterans group Frank’s Heroes.
Submitted Photos
Frank’s Heroes gives a St. Charles Marine Corp veteran the opportunity to blow his own horn By Brett Auten It was a gift that was never expected nor even asked for. Since he was a kid, Tim Brack, 31, of St. Charles, always liked the sound of a trumpet. But in middle school and high school, he was more into sports than the marching band and the instrument became a fading fancy. After high school, Brack enlisted in the United States Marine Corp and served overseas during wartime. Upon his return, the brass instrument returned to his consciousness. Through news stories and his memory, he recalled the tinny timber of both the bugle and the trumpet, whether it sounded the immediacy of Reveille or the somber finality of Taps. Over the years, Brack became friends with another veteran, Bill Rogers. Brack had heard about Bill Rogers’ participation in Frank’s Heroes, a St. Charles veteran’s organization founded by Bill and Barb Dennis that provides veterans with free guitar music lessons and in some cases a free instrument. “I just asked Bill that in case I bought a bugle or something like it if he knew of a place where it would be quiet so I could practice,” Brack said.
For Rogers, a man who wears many hats, it meant that the challenge was on. “Bill always goes above and beyond,” Brack added. It was beginning to be a bit of a task to find a trumpet. Brand new ones can get pricey and affordable used ones are hard to
Frank’s Heroes founder Bill Dennis (right) presents a trumpet to Tim Brack.
come by. One day, while volunteering at the Sts. Joachim and Ann Care Service, Rogers had mentioned the plan to another Army veteran and friend, Tom Ferguson, who also
volunteers at the Care Service, located at 4116 McClay Rd in St. Charles. Among his many memorabilia, Ferguson said he had a trumpet stashed away in a closet. “Tom and I and others take vets under our wing when they come through the Care Center,” Rogers said. “Tom said, ‘I’ll give it to you if you’re going to give it to Tim, no one else.” The trumpet was made in Paris and had been around the block, needing new valves, and there was a dent in the curvature near the back. Rogers brought the trumpet to John Sherwin, who owns Mid-Rivers Music, for repairs. Once Sherwin and his crew got the instrument spruced and working, Ferguson was able to present it to Brack at a ceremony at the store. “It was a good feeling giving the trumpet to Tim,” Ferguson said. “I got to know Tim through the Care Service, and I thoroughly enjoyed harassing him because he is a Marine and I was in the Army.” The members of Frank’s Heroes all chipped in and bought trumpet lesson coupons at Mid-Rivers Music for Brack to help him get started on the right foot. See HORN page 2
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