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“Raise a Glass at an Afterparty for Todd Barron”

Hello everyone, I am Debra Barron, Todd’s wife, and tonight I would like to take you on a journey through Todd’s philanthropic evolution. You will see how his passion for supporting the arts and youth programs, while creating lasting memories with friends and family at parties and events, is interwoven throughout the entire story. Some of the moments I mention have been captured in images on the slideshow tonight. The blue bracelets that the Afterparty guests are wearing, have three important messages taken from the eulogies that his brother, Michael, and his nephew, Evan, gave just 6 weeks ago. They have become mantras to those who knew him. The first is - Live. -  Give. -  Love.   - 

Live - Todd lived for fun times and strove to create memorable experiences for everyone that came into his circle, 
Give - Todd would Give, in order to help others enjoy life as much as he did. It was a huge part of his character and a trait that countless people benefited from.
Love - Todd shared his love and positivity with everyone he met through his inclusiveness and openness. 

These three small words, explain so much of why he did all he did in life. 

I’ll begin the story from when I came into Todd’s life. Todd was the only guy I ever googled before a first date. At that time back in 2003, internet searches did not bring up much information on people that weren’t famous. So I was surprised, and impressed, when his name brought up links to the Transplant Foundation and a bowling tournament he had chaired a few months prior. As many of you heard in Michael’s eulogy at the funeral, during our first date, Todd told me he was a “Catch”. Knowing what I had already researched on the internet about his chairing a charity event at the age of 29, I had to assume that he might be right. 

On that first date I also learned that at the final committee meeting for the Transplant Foundation’s annual golf tournament and auction, it was announced that the auctioneer had to cancel at the last minute. Todd raised his hand and volunteered to do the live auction for them. When someone on the committee asked what his qualifications were, he simply said - 
“I’m willing to do it”. 

That began his desire to volunteer to be an auctioneer at charity events. I remember watching online videos of cattle auctions with him, so that he could hone his skills and market his free auctioneering to charities throughout the area. Todd always accepted any invitation to auctioneer, with the understanding that he would require 2 tickets to the event so that he could bring me as a date. And that is how Todd managed to get us Free tickets to well over one hundred “open bar events” over the past 20 years.

When Todd and I met, I was a music teacher at South Grade Elementary, a Title 1 school, in Lake Worth. I had recently created an band program with a grant from Vh1 Save the Music Foundation. Todd quickly became our biggest fan, and an integral part of the growth and success of the band program. He donated money, and spoke about the band program with countless friends, and colleagues, many of whom also donated money and instruments to support the program. In addition, Todd supported the band program with his time. He marched alongside the band at the annual Lake Worth parades, and always left the parade route early to go fill up his trunk with 50 happy meals from McDonalds so that the kids could eat as soon as they returned to the school from the parade.

Over the years, Todd’s appreciation of the arts and support of youth outreach programs evolved. Todd and I purchased our first subscription to the Palm Beach Opera in 2005.  At one performance we observed young people enjoying a private champagne reception in a roped off area. We instantly wanted to join the group, which we learned was the Palm Beach Opera Young Friends. Gradually, we became more involved in their outreach and social programs, which led to Todd and I serving as the Young Patrons Co-Chairs of the 2016 Palm Beach Opera Gala.

At an opera young friends social event in 2013, the Palm Beach Opera director, Daniel Biaggi, commented to Todd that ticket sales for the Family Opera three days later were tragically low and they were willing to give tickets away just to fill the theater. Without hesitating, Todd told him he could help fill those empty seats with underprivileged children. At the time, Todd was serving on the executive board of the Boys and Girls Club of Wellington and he said he would invite the whole club to come to the performance. That first year, with just a few days' notice, he was able to get a bus to bring over 40 club members along with their families to attend the performance at no charge. He even added a pizza party for them to enjoy at City Pizza prior to the performance - because he always loved to feed them. Over the next few years, Todd took hundreds of children and their families to this family opera at the Kravis Center. 

When Todd became president of the executive board of the Boys and Girls Club of Wellington in 2015, one of his first major initiatives was to create a chorus program. He wanted the children to receive musical training without putting a financial burden on their families. He worked to procure funds from friends, business colleagues and anyone who would listen to him speak passionately about giving children the gift of music education. The Boys and Girls Club chorus was created in 2015. The group performed around town, and had a memorable experience at The International Polo Club, where they opened a polo match by singing the National Anthem on the field. 

The years from 2014-2016 were some of the busiest, and most fulfilling of our lives. We were actively involved in 4 charities, and often spent 3-4 nights a week out at events. Luckily, we had supportive and involved parents and what we called our “arsenal” of dedicated babysitters that enabled us to be so active in the community. Our first daughter Sarah was 3, and our youngest daughter Lilah, had just been born in 2014 when Todd went to lunch with David McClymount and they hatched a plan to create a Young Friends group for the Symphony. Todd recruited his friends to join the executive board, and started organizing events that would interest young professionals, such as the Sunday tent at Polo, happy hours, and parties at Scott Diament’s house. 

It has been an absolute joy to watch the Young Friends of the Palm Beach Symphony grow over the past decade from 20 members in its first year, to its current membership of close to 100. Over 50% of the Young Friends members are now subscribers to the Palm Beach Symphony. The brilliant and purposeful leadership of CEO David McClymount, and the youthful wave of Young Friends members, rejuvenated an aging symphony, and brought in new patrons to help support its growth. This momentum helped the Palm Beach Symphony obtain a home at the Kravis Center for concerts with sold out crowds. The Young Friends of the Palm Beach Symphony continues to enrich the lives of its members by helping them develop friendships and create lasting memories with like minded people. And most importantly, Former Young Friends executive board members now serve on the Symphony’s Board of Directors and have become an integral part of the leadership and growth of the organization. 

Looking back, I really don’t know how we did it all. It may be explained by sharing the second saying on the Afterparty bracelets that Todd imparted to our nephew Evan Barron just days before he passed. 

Always Be A Giver. 

The ways people can give, change over time, as they did for Todd. In the beginning, he offered his time - on committees and boards, alongside the band kids, then taking on roles as president of the board for various charities. As our children got older, and needed us to be present for them on the evenings and weekends, Todd gave more with money and less with his time. When he was first diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma in 2018, he stopped sitting on committees and boards and focused on quality time with friends and family. And once we realized his cancer was terminal three years ago, he reduced giving away his precious time even further, and only gave money, with an occasional night spent auctioneering for his favorite events like the Maltz Jupiter Theatre Gala, the Temple Beth Torah Gala, and the Boys and Girls Club Bright Futures Polo Day. Over the past 2 decades, Todd has helped raise millions of dollars for local charities as a volunteer auctioneer often needing to overcome extreme personal pain and risk to do so. 

One memorable example is when Todd auctioneered alongside Andrew Cato, the Producing Artistic Director at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre Gala in 2019. Andrew did not know the extent of the 13 hour surgery Todd underwent the week prior, to preserve his leg when a second tumor grew in his calf, just a year and a half after the first was removed. He did not know then, and still does not know, that Todd was not able to bend his ankle to walk, or that he had 2 feet of stitches running up his leg that would take over 6 weeks to heal. Days before the gala, I bought Todd patent leather high tops to wear with his tuxedo, so that his foot would be immobilized in his shoe. Todd walked to the stage with the assistance of a cane, and his brother Michael,who was there to catch him in case he fell. At the last minute, he passed the cane to his brother and took his first unassisted steps since the surgery, out onto the dance floor, with a spotlight on him, and hundreds of people watching. None of whom knew that his family had just stopped breathing as we anxiously watched him make the impossible look easy, just to help raise money for the Maltz Jupiter Theatre and its youth educational programs. Todd and Andrew bantered back and forth, and raised over 200 thousand dollars in the following 20 minutes. 

Todd lived his life to the fullest by seeking out, or creating, exciting experiences, while enjoying a love of the performing arts, and a passion for bringing music into the lives of children. The honor of having the Instrument Donation Fund named after him is so fitting because it aligns perfectly with his philanthropic interests. The promising young musicians that receive instruments through this remarkable program may become part of the next generation of professional musicians performing with the Palm Beach Symphony. This is how his legacy for supporting the arts and youth programs will continue. 

The last saying on the Afterparty bracelets is W.W.T.D. What Would Todd Do? 

If he could, Todd would be here tonight - living, giving, and loving this moment with all of us. 

He would appreciate each of you being here for the launch of the Todd Barron Instrument Donation Fund by Palm Beach Symphony. Todd would be so proud of all of us, for coming together for such a meaningful purpose. Let’s Raise a Glass - To Todd!    Cheers!