A fundraiser reunited Taco Taco worker Tommy Glenn with the lost instrument

After 25 years of not being able to play the violin, Tommy Glenn will be reunited with his instrument. Trinity students have raised over $600 for the Taco Taco worker in order to give him the gift of music that was stolen from him many years ago. Seniors Charlie Stein and Zach Moring came up with the idea after talking to Glenn one night about music.

“He’s always so chipper and enthusiastic, so pretty much we just thought we should do something nice for him because he’s a really enthusiastic person that treats everyone well. It felt like a good thing to do,” Stein said.

Many students across campus admire Glenn’s outgoing personality.

“Every time I eat at Taco Taco, he’s just always smiling and being friendly to customers. His attitude just brightens my day. It’s so sweet to hear that he’s made an impact on so many people,” said Kelsey Osborn, a sophomore psychology major.

After Stein and Moring decided they wanted to help restore music in Glenn’s life, they reached out to the Trinity community on the “Overheard at Trinity” Facebook page.

“I asked about the temperature of the thing and there was an overwhelmingly positive response that I didn’t expect. It was very heartwarming that so many people were enthusiastic to contribute,” Stein said.

Stein and Moring put the fundraiser together in a matter of days after receiving a lot of attention on the Facebook thread. Within a week, they exceeded their goal of $300, and soon were able to double it. Instead of using this money to purchase a new violin, the organizers were able to work out a trade.

Chrissy Nielsen volunteered to supply the violin for Glenn, as her mother is an orchestra director. They put together a gift basket with various music accessories, including a new bow, rosin, a shoulder rest, a polishing towel, metronome, sheet music and a black stand so that Glenn can jump right into playing again. Through the fundraiser, Nielsen felt that she got a glimpse of how the Trinity community can come together for important issues.

“I already knew that Tommy is a great guy, and I figured other people knew that as well, but the fact that we raised as much money as we did in such little time really proves how close of a community Trinity is. The fact that so many students and friends immediately banded together to help someone most people may take for granted blew me away, and it makes me happy knowing there are still people who want to help others around them, including Tommy,” Nielsen said.

The leftover money will go to a charity of Glenn’s choice. The students plan to give the gift to Glenn sometime this week. They also would like to thank all members of the Trinity community for their support and contributions to make someone’s day a bit brighter.