Millburn's Lorre Wyatt Sings for the Ruth Gottscho Kidney Foundation

Folk singer-songwriter Lorre Wyatt, Pete Seeger’s long-time friend and writing partner, will headline a concert honoring the 40th anniversary of the Ruth Gottscho Kidney Foundation’s Summer Camp Program at Congregation B’nai Israel in Millburn, at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 19.

WCBS Newsradio 88 anchor Wayne Cabot will MC the event, and former and current Millburnaires and Millburnettes will join Wyatt on stage.

Wyatt began his musical career at Millburn High School where he was a member of the Millburnaires, a boy’s choral group. Ruth Gottscho also grew up in Millburn, living in town until her death from kidney disease in 1960 at the age of 15.
“We were a family of campers and Ruth always dreamed of going to sleep-away camp,” Judy Gottscho Eichinger, chair of the foundation and sister of Ruth, said. “This event will help more kids with kidney disease enjoy the camping experience.”

Wyatt and Seeger recorded the 2012 album, “A More Perfect Union.” Wyatt is donating a copy of the CD, signed by he and Seeger, which will be the highlight of a silent auction.

Wyatt wrote some very well known songs, including “Somos el Barco/We Are the Boat,” which was recorded by Peter Paul and Mary, “God’s Counting on Me, God’s Counting on You” (with Seeger), “Braving The Storm,” “Bountiful River,” “Like New Mown Hay,” and many others.

“Lorre Wyatt’s songs share a quality with the finest of traditional folk songs: they are at once timely and timeless,” Pete Seeger said of Lorre’s songs. “They grow on you and with you and become part of you. I predict that many of Lorre’s songs will be sung – humanity willing! – by our grandchildren’s grandchildren.”

At the concert, Wyatt will also be debuting a new song, “New Mown Hay,” which he wrote about a day he spent with Ruth when they were students at Millburn Junior High School.

Wyatt will be joined by former Millburnaires Steve Oxman, Richard Erdman, Dennis Cryer, former Millburnettes Beth Giladi, Jo Ann Horowitz, Jill Kimmelman and Gwen Orel as well as current Millburnaires and Millburnettes from Millburn High School.
This year marks the 40th year that the Ruth Gottscho Kidney Foundation has been sending children with kidney disease to overnight camp at the Frost Valley YMCA camp, thus fulfilling Ruth’s lifelong dream of going to sleep-away camp. At Frost Valley, the kidney campers are mainstreamed with regular campers and receive their dialysis and medications at the Ruth Gottscho Dialysis Center.

“I had a great time and I will never forget the people,” Daniel, 15, of Randolph, NJ said in a letter to the Foundation this week. “My family was so grateful that this year, I was able to take a break from my normal summer routine and attend camp during one of your Kidney Camp sessions. Before Frost Valley, I had never gone camping nor had I ever been away from my parents for an extended period of time. “

Roslyn Brendzel and Leilani Viney serve as co-chairs for the concert. Committee members include Judy Gottscho Eichinger, Judy Speicher Weiss, Dennis Walter, Al Wickens, Anna Lawton, Stephen Weisbart, Robert Schachter, Ellynn Szoke, Dr. Shefali Vyas and Shirley Aidekman-Kaye.

Tickets are $35 (tax-deductible) and can be ordered through www.gottschokidney.org and go to the DONATENOW page, or by mailing a check to: The Ruth Gottscho Kidney Foundation, 515 Warwick Ave., Teaneck, NJ 07666.