September 2014 Legend: Tressie Seegers
Tressie and her staff at The Austin Harmony Project bring students with special needs to the stage. They propel their self-confidence sky-high as they give heartfelt performances alongside professional Austin musicians.
RecognizeGood: The Foundation will present the RecognizeGood® Legend award to Tressie Seegers, founder of The Austin Harmony Project, in a ceremony to take place at the facilities of The Austin Harmony Project, 1806 W Stassney Lane, Austin TX 78745, beginning at 1:30 pm on Thursday, September 30, 2014. As part of the presentation, The Austin Harmony Project will receive a $1,000 pay-it-forward donation from RecognizeGood in Tressie’s name.
When Tressie Seegers first incorporated art and music into a life skills class serving high school-age students with developmental disabilities, she noticed something. The students’ behavior improved, self-esteem increased, and perhaps most significantly, their talents were recognized and encouraged. From that point forward, Tressie built the Austin Harmony Project, enriching lives through art, music and a sense of community. Now, young men and women with cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and autism perform regularly as members of the Sweet Harmony Band. This delights parents, supporters and each other as they sing and dance along with some of Austin’s most popular musicians. In 2013, the Austin Harmony Project provided over 1500 art and music enrichment hours to more than 80 students.
As a 2014 Legend, Tressie is now eligible to participate in RecognizeGood’s annual Say Thanks Austin campaign. This annual event presents the Austin area with the opportunity to say “thank you” to a group of remarkable individuals. The participant with the most Thank You votes receives a pay-it-forward donation of $10,000 to the nonprofit of their choice.
