Instruments from American Idol fans due in October, but it's not too late to get involved

Band instruments bought with money donated mostly by fans of American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert are expected to arrive in Kent by October 12, but according to Carol Brewster, the teacher who wrote the essay to get the instruments, local residents can still get in on the action.

Earlier this year, Brewster wrote a proposal for the Web site DonorsChoose.org, an online charity that connects people with students in need, requesting more than $14,000 to buy band instruments for the schools in which she works.

Much to her surprise, her request took off as dozens of people began "donating on behalf of someone named Adam Lambert." It turns out the star of last year's American Idol competition asked his fans to support school music programs instead of sending him gifts and one online fan club selected Brewster's request.

With a competition brewing between online fan clubs, the instrument request was fully-funded within eight days of Lambert's fans selecting Brewster's proposal.

But while Brewster is expecting the new instruments to be delivered by Oct 12 - and distributed to the schools where she works - Brewster is hoping to raise a little more money for clarinet reeds and band books to use in class and has submitted two more requests to the site.

In fact, there are presently nine requests for the Kent School District on the site, which anyone can access and make donations toward.

To see Brewster's two requests, as well as the other seven proposals for the Kent School District, visit www.DonorsChoose.org and click "see projects" on the sidebar. Click through to Washington state and the Kent School District.

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