WINCHESTER — There is a well-known quote from reggae legend Bob Marley that claims, “One advantage of music: When it hits you, you are feeling no ache.”
The workers at Blue Ridge Hospice understands that higher than anybody. That is why they jumped on the probability to deal with 10 teenagers and younger adults who’re mourning the losses of family members to Beyoncé’s Saturday night time live performance at FedEx Area in Landover, Maryland.
They did not put the attendees within the low cost seats, both (though “low cost” is a relative time period contemplating that ticket costs began at practically $200 every). Due to the Washington Commanders soccer staff, the Hospice group bought a package deal that included free tickets, free parking and free admission to a non-public VIP skybox from which to benefit from the present whereas scarfing down nice meals and drinks.
“It most likely approached about $15,000 for the expertise,” Blue Ridge Hospice President and CEO Cheryl Hamilton Fried mentioned on Monday.
Fried mentioned the NFL’s Washington Commanders group is a giant supporter of the Winchester-based Blue Ridge Hospice, a nonprofit at 333 W. Cork St. that gives high quality end-of-life look after terminal sufferers and help companies for many who are left to deal with losses. As a reward for the arduous work of Hospice’s workers, the Commanders supplied the VIP field for his or her use.
However Fried had one other concept.
“The very first thing I considered was how great this may be for our younger adults on this [grief support] program,” she mentioned.
“As we proceed our tales [of grief], we’re owed moments of celebration and pleasure,” added Christina Thomas, youngsters and household grief help coordinator for Blue Ridge Hospice.
Susana Calley, the supervisor of affected person and household help companies for Blue Ridge Hospice, mentioned the nonprofit places nice emphasis on serving to younger folks rise above the disappointment related to mourning a liked one.
“I really feel like we have gotten some momentum in serving them and reaching them,” Calley mentioned. “This [concert] actually nailed it by way of their pursuits.”
“We went about figuring out teenagers and younger adults which have been a part of our packages and would profit from going,” Thomas mentioned. “They have been real followers [of Beyoncé].”
The ten who have been chosen have been all beneath the age of 30 — some have been youthful than 18 — and lately suffered sudden, sudden losses of family members as a consequence of issues like accidents, overdoses or suicides, Thomas mentioned.
The attendees have been accompanied by just a few caregivers and siblings, in addition to some members of Hospice’s workers, together with big-time Beyoncé followers Thomas and Fried.
Beyoncé is presently one of the vital common singers on planet Earth. The previous Future’s Little one member is touring North America in help of her newest album, “Renaissance,” and is filling live performance venues and stadiums in each metropolis she visits.
She’s additionally an artist who genuinely cares about her followers. Living proof: Her second present at FedEx Area was postponed by two hours Sunday night time as a consequence of thunderstorms. To ensure live performance attendees who have been utilizing the Metro public transit system may get house earlier than trains shut down for the night time, she shelled out $100,000 to maintain all subway stations open for an additional hour.
Thomas mentioned Beyoncé did not know the group from Blue Ridge Hospice was attending her present on Saturday night time, however she simply so occurred to open the live performance with what proved to be an ideal lineup of songs about love, confidence and private empowerment.
“A whole lot of the music actually resonated,” Fried mentioned after she and Thomas famous that Beyoncé’s newest album, “Renaissance,” is devoted to the reminiscence of a beloved, inspiring and supportive uncle who died of AIDS because the singer’s profession was simply getting began.
“I keep in mind a number of moments of taking a look at every considered one of these youngsters, realizing their tales, and considering I actually hoped they heard her,” Thomas mentioned. “They’re the very best and nobody can contact them. Their scars make them higher and stronger. … That was probably the greatest moments of my life, sitting within the ridiculous extravagance of that suite and watching these youngsters expertise Beyoncé telling them she loves them. It was actually unimaginable, actually nice.”
Fried mentioned she’s hoping phrase will get again to Beyoncé about Blue Ridge Hospice attending Saturday’s live performance so the singer will perceive how her music, a minimum of for just a few hours, lifted 10 younger folks from below the load of the grief they’ve been carrying for months.
She additionally mentioned the Beyoncé present will not be the final live performance for Hospice shoppers. Serving to younger people who find themselves experiencing grief is considered one of Blue Ridge Hospice’s best targets, Fried mentioned, and the nonprofit discovered on Saturday that a night of music could make hearts soar far above the disappointment of loss.
“Watching these younger adults take pleasure in their time, even when only for a quick second, it introduced me to tears,” Fried mentioned. “It was a shifting expertise.”
