Our Story
From a few hundred dollars among friends and family to a formal nonprofit—here's how Drumroll Please Project came to be.
Drumroll Please Project (DPP) started small: a personal, informal donation drive led by percussionist and music instructor Anthony Cracchiolo to collect clothing, hygiene products, and health items for veterans residing at or served by the VA Medical Center in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. He and his long-time student, Jake “the Snake” Herring, have collaborated to build the organization from a neighborly idea into an annual initiative with real impact for residents of the VA Center.
Under Anthony and Jake’s steady guidance, what began as a few hundred dollars raised from friends and family grew over the course of seven years, garnering media coverage from CBS3 Philadelphia, Fox29 Philadelphia, and other regional media outlets. Anthony’s students and their families began to volunteer their own time to help support the effort.
In 2025, the team that Anthony and Jake had built collected more than $10,000—entirely through informal, personal fundraising—and DPP was born.
Why incorporate?
With this growth, Anthony and Jake formed a board in 2026 to help transform their neighborly pursuit into a full-fledged non-profit [501(c)(3) pending] for two reasons:
to give local businesses and individuals a lawful, tax-exempt vehicle through which to make deductible contributions to this initiative—something an informal, unincorporated drive can't offer; and,
to separate the collection and disbursement of charitable funds from personal finances and ensure that, as we grow, we grow with transparency.
What guides us
Drumroll Please Project is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes. No part of our net earnings benefits any director, officer, or private individual—our board serves without compensation, and any transaction that could benefit a director or officer personally goes through a documented conflict-of-interest review. Board members have no family or financial relationship with our founder, so oversight stays independent as we grow. Our goal is simple: to help local veterans in need, and to build a stronger community through musical connection.