For the Monmouth County, New Jersey crowd, there’s a new music program at the Freehold Borough YMCA in memory of Dennis McGackin Jr. (January 25, 1982 – May 21, 2009). Here’s the press release:

Celebration Kick-Off Party
Dennis McGackin Jr Music Program

Sponsored By The Graeme Preston Foundation for Life

The Dennis McGackin Jr Music Program was developed by the Graeme Preston for Life Foundation to inspire kids with music. They have partnered up with the Freehold Borough YMCA and Music University to facilitate a program where children attending the YMCA will have an opportunity to see how music can enrich their lives.

Dennis, known to many as DJ, had a passion for many things but two which really stand out were his love for Freehold and music. Although DJ left us too soon, his passion for music will carry on in the students of this program at the Freehold Borough YMCA.

The Dennis McGackin Jr Music program was implemented to offer children attending the YMCA with the opportunity to experience music by providing lessons from Music University on a weekly basis in continuing twelve week sessions. The children will have supervised practice sessions throughout the week where they can review and master what they have learned in their lessons. By doing this we hope to not only expose children to music but to give them a chance to have a professional teacher guide them to mastering music.

The Dennis McGackin Jr Music Program will inspire and introduce children to music, playing individually or as a group. It will instill a sense of accomplishment with both short and long term goals and benefits that the children can carry throughout all aspects of their life. The Dennis McGackin Jr Music Program will spread the grace of Graeme by positively impacting and enriching the lives of the children of Freehold Borough.

The Grace of Graeme goes on!

Date: Monday January 25, 2010
Time: 5:00-7:00pm
Location: Freehold Borough YMCA Community Center
41 Center Street, suite 2
Freehold, NJ 07728

From the News Transcript article:

Free program to unite children with music

The Graeme Preston Foundation for Life will be providing an instructor and new instruments for the Dennis McGackin Jr. Music Club at the YMCA Community Center, Center Street, Freehold Borough.

The free program, open to anyone in the community, will be held every Wednesday from 4-7 p.m. for 12 weeks from Feb. 3 to April 21. Instruction will be provided to the first 30 children between the ages of 8 and 17 who register for the club.

Lessons will be given on guitar during the first hour, keyboard for the second hour and drums for the third hour.

The YMCA will host the music club’s kickoff celebration party from 5-7 p.m. Jan. 25. The party will include music and refreshments.

The objective of the Dennis McGackin Jr. Music Club is to provide children with the opportunity to experience music by taking lessons and practicing on a weekly basis, thus instilling a sense of accomplishment with short- and long-term benefits, according to a press release.

Lessons will be provided by Steve Kelly of Music University, Freehold Township. The children will be playing individually and as a group.

The Graeme Preston Foundation for Life is funding the program by providing an instructor and new instruments.

The program was created by Kelley Mc- Gackin, Dennis McGackin, Paul Sallee and Scott Preston.