By Lori Ehde
Of all the Christmas stories of goodness and joy, this one warms the soul.
It’s about a little girl’s wish to become an accomplished pianist and a community effort to make that wish come true.
It all started with an off-hand remark by fourth-grader Cassandra Sunderland to Luverne Elementary music teacher Beth Capistran.
She had mentioned that she’d like to take piano lessons someday, so Capistran referred the student to Child Guide Lisa Dinger.
Through her duties connecting children to positive community assets, Dinger called around town to find a piano teacher.
The aspiring young musician wasn’t lacking talent or ambition, but she did lack a piano at home and the resources for lessons.
That’s where Cassandra’s friends in the school and community pulled together to help out.
Word eventually reached retired piano teacher June Polzin, who started volunteering lessons for Cassandra at school once a week.
When Child Guide Advisory Board member Julie Wynia updated the Rock County Board on the program, she mentioned the piano lesson story as an example of connecting students with positive community assets.
After the meeting, County Commissioner Jane Wildung and County Administrator Kyle Oldre launched a community-wide search for a piano for Cassandra so she could practice at home.
Oldre’s wife, Sara, works at Hills-Beaver Creek School with Diane Vanden Hoek, who had an upright piano to donate.
Oldre solicited help from friends to move it to Cassandra’s home.
After school on Friday, Elementary Principal Melody Tenhoff and several teachers made arrangements to drive Cassandra home where the surprise piano waited in the living room.
Also waiting for her were Santa Claus (Terrie Gulden), Wildung, Oldre and her aunt, Paula Lingen.
Directing her to the piano, they simply said, "Merry Christmas."
Since so many were involved, they simply said the piano was a gift from Santa Claus.
With her eyes dancing at the sight of the ivory keys, Cassandra sat down and played by ear "Silent Night."
With tears welling in their eyes, everyone reflected on the positive outcome of the group effort.
For Dinger, it’s the perfect example what can be done for kids in a community of caring individuals.
"This is how things happen for all the kids I have in the Child Guide program," she said.
Children are referred to the program for various reasons, and she connects them to community people and resources.
"There are lots of little things that go on all the time," Dinger said, "but this one just happens to be a big thing."
She said the message needs to get out that everyone who works for children needs to understand their input, whether big or small, can make a big difference if it’s used in collaboration with others.
"People pulling together helping a child will make a huge difference in a child’s life, especially if they are at a crossroads in their life deciding a future path," Dinger said.
"What excites me is how this community pulls together, especially for the youth."