Few people appreciate tarnished trumpets, broken clarinets or faltering flutes. But members of the Junior League of Champaign-Urbana are willing to take what they can get. Right now they’re planning to give children in Champaign-Urbana musical instruments that are as good as new.

“Our big push right is to get instruments donated, have them refurbished and get them pushed back out to students,” said Lorie Larson, the president of the JLCU.

The JCLU partners with 29 different elementary and middle schools to provide school supplies and instruments. This year they allocated $10,000 solely for their music program. The JLCU plans to put as many instruments into the hands of students who want to study music but do not have the family funds to do so.

With the help of The Music Shoppe, JLCU is sponsoring a music instrument drive at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. Traffic Jam, the name of the event, is part of the JLCU’s Save the Music/Music for All program and will feature the Tons ‘O’ Fun band, a local classic rhythm-and-blues band, corn dogs and popcorn.

Beth Dickson, a chairperson in affiliation with the JLCU, said she expects to receive around 25 instruments at the drive. But, she also says people don’t have to wait until the Traffic Jam event to donate unused instruments.

“The great thing about (this program) is that anyone can go to The Music Shoppe at anytime and donate an instrument to the Junior League,” she said.

Everyone who donates an instrument at the event will receive a complimentary Tons ‘O’ Fun CD and a goody bag. All instruments donated will go directly into the public schools of Champaign-Urbana after they’re refurbished at The Music Shoppe in Champaign. Larson says the JLCU is hoping to draw the University into its events.

“No matter what your race or ethnicity, people appreciate music. What more culturally rich of a place to offer (it) than at the University of Illinois?” Larson said.

The Junior League is not alone in its efforts. Champaign-Urbana public school districts have established an instrumental musical scholarship program to help young students study music. While they encourage parents to provide instruments for their children if they can afford to do so, they also make an effort not to leave anybody out.

Ellen Elrick, a band teacher in Urbana School District 116, says learning to play an instrument encompasses more than musicality. It also helps students accept discipline and understand how music plays a role in their lives.

“Just to have a whole world (of music) opened up to them is unique and extremely enriching,” she said.

Elrick says the Junior League’s initiatives have been a major part of providing instruments to elementary kids who don’t have instruments.

“In a way it’s like we don’t want to have any child left behind in terms of musical skills and musical expression,” she said.

Traffic Jam is a free event and will take place at 5 p.m. on Feb. 17 in the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. For more information about the JLCU please visit www.juniorleaguecu.org/. For more information about Krannert Center for the Performing Arts visit www.KrannertCenter.com.