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Lafayette man's home is filled with donated instruments for Marshall Fire victims

Travis Albright's neighbors have dropped off so many instruments that he ran out of space in his garage and is now storing them in his kitchen and basement.

LAFAYETTE, Colo. — A man in Lafayette is storing more than 150 donated musical instruments for people who lost theirs in the Marshall Fire.

Travis Albright started a drive on Sunday, and donations keep coming to his front door.

Albright is the founder of the Future Arts Foundation. The nonprofit was started several years ago to provide instruments to schools that don't have the budget to purchase them for students. The group hosts an annual Bluebird Music Festival to help pay for the instruments and host free youth arts workshops.

"I was seeing all these people on TV that lost everything and I was like, this is such a musical area, I bet you out of these thousand homes there is a good handful that lost instruments," he said.

Four schools in the area reached out to Albright to let him know more than 100 students lost not only their instruments, but also their homes. Dozens of adults have also told him they're hoping to replace their instruments destroyed in the Marshall Fire.

Since Sunday, neighbors have dropped off so many instruments that Albright doesn't have any more space left in his garage. He's now storing instruments in his kitchen and basement too.

"When I looked out my door at 10 a.m. when the drive was starting, there were at least 20 to 30 people lined up down my street with instruments in hand," he said. "I am still getting emails and phone calls all the time from people who want to donate."

Jeanne Clifton stopped by on Monday to drop off her daughter's trumpet. Her daughter even wrote a note for the instrument's new owner. 

"I hope this trumpet helps you continue to find or continue your love of music the same way it did for me many years ago," the note said.

Albright's nonprofit is also collecting money to help buy brand new instruments for kids.

Albright said one of the organization's partners, Odell Brewing, will be packing up a van to help with the distribution. They hope to give the instruments to fire victims within the next few weeks.

RELATED: Free sifting services for people who lost homes to Marshall Fire

RELATED: Short-term rental owners come together to offer housing for Marshall Fire survivors

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