Playing it Forward at Farina car cruise in McCandless

Donate old instruments at the annual Frank J. Farina Jr. Memorial Car Cruise on Sept. 10 at the North Allegheny Intermediate School and help bring music to underprivileged students in the Pittsburgh area.

Instruments donated at the car cruise, from 2 to 6 p.m., are part of Play-it-Forward, a program by the Farina Foundation that gives used instruments a second life, said Farina’s son, Frank J. Farina III.

The annual car cruise is being held in conjunction with McCandless Community Day, which is also Sept. 10, but at the town hall off of Grubbs Road from 4 to 6 p.m. There will be parking at NAI on Cumberland Road and a shuttle for those wanting to attend Community Day, according to Larry Steckel, chair of the car cruise.

The Farina Foundation, a 501(c)3 charitable organization, started the Play-it-Forward program in 2019 that refurbishes donated instruments to provide to underprivileged children, music departments of health organizations and underserved schools, according to Farina III.

The foundation honors the legacy of the late Frank J. Farina Jr. and his belief that all children deserve the right to have equitable access to music education.

Farina was a music director for several schools in the Pittsburgh area, including 26 years at North Allegheny as chairman of the music department and band director. A resident of McCandless, his four children all attended NASD, said his son.

The late Farina has a list of musical accomplishments, including several college bowl appearances, a chair on the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association board and co-founder of the now-named Pittsburgh Philharmonic. He also co-founded, was president, and performed with the Allegheny Brass Band.

He was honored in 2012 by the Town of McCandless proclaiming the Frank J. Farina Jr. Memorial Car Cruise that is now part of the annual McCandless Community Day.

Farina III said his father was dedicated to providing access to music and music education to every child.

The Farina Foundation partners with The Education Partnership to store, manage and distribute the instruments they collect. They mostly utilize The Brighton Music Center in Pittsburgh to restore the instruments that are donated.

Even if the instruments are beyond repair, Farina III said, they can often be used to provide parts.

Johnstonbaugh Music Center, which has a location in Allison Park, has also helped with refurbishment, he said.

About 90 percent of the instruments the foundation receives go to The Education Partnership. The rest go to other organizations such as Wesley Family Services, Children’s Hospital or the Pittsburgh Children’s Institute, he said.

At The Education Partnership, based in Pittsburgh, teachers can pick up what they need. More than 500 instruments have been refurbished so far.

The foundation also receives donations from the Goodwill stores, said Farina III.

Occasionally the foundation will purchase an instrument for a student if the need is there.

This is the first year it has opened the program up to public donations. Donations at the car cruise must able to fit in his vehicle, so pianos or organs cannot be accepted there.

Farina III said donation opportunities will also be available at the Saxonburg Music Festival on Sept. 10. The Farina Foundation is partnering with the Saxonburg Music Festival, being held 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., where they’ll provide a music lineup, including the Allegheny Brass Band, Cello Fury, and more. The 3 Rivers Barbershop Quartet and the NA Fiddlers will also play there throughout the day, said Farina III.

The foundation will donate its “showmobile” stage to North Allegheny School District and the athletic department at the Sept. 9 pep rally.

Farina III said the foundation has helped close to 1,000 children per month. This is because many instruments are used daily by multiple students in a class.

“We’re impacting a lot of students,” he said.

Play-it-Forward has grown since it first began in 2019.

“This has taken on a life of its own,” he said.

The cost of refurbishment can be anywhere from $50 to $600. Donors also donate toward refurbishment costs, but it is not necessary. He said the foundation has benefited from grants and sponsors to keep the program going.

It’s family-run foundation with Barbara Farina, 83, at the helm as president.

Farina III also has two sisters and a brother. And, yes, they all played instruments while at North Allegheny, he said.

Like his dad said, “you’ve got to give back to the community.”

The foundation also awards a Frank J. Farina Jr. Award for Musical Excellence annually to a North Allegheny student, including several categories of scholarships.

The car cruise is expecting about 200 cars so far, according to McCandless resident and former NA band parent Steckel. He said he was brought on to help by the elder Frank himself, and he’s been organizing it ever since. He said most of those involved with the cruise are former NA band parents.

Steckel said the car cruise will have a DJ, food vendor, door prizes and raffles. Cars can range from 1950s and 1960s muscle cars to other unique looks. One year the cruise had a beautifully refurbished Cadillac hearse.

“You never know what you’re going to get here,” he said.