The inaugural event for the Jim Chapin Memorial Teacher Scholarship was held Wednesday, February 17, at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York City. The turnout was in the neighborhood of 500 and the tributes to Jim were overwhelming.

The event was produced by Dom Famularo and the Chapin family. Drummers who played and/or spoke included Carmine Appice, Sergio Bellotti, Aaron Comess, Anton Fig, Steve Gadd, JoJo Mayer, Joe Morello, Dafnis Prieto, Bernard Purdie, Antonio Sanchez and Sam Ulano. Special messages were read from players who couldn't make the event, including Billy Cobham, Liberty DeVitto, David Garibaldi, Steve Smith, Billy Ward, Max Weinberg and Zoro. A number of industry folks also had the opportunity to reminisce about Jim as well.

The Chapin family, led by Tom and Steve, along with Jim's kids and grandkids, all supported by musicians who have backed up Tom and the late Harry over the years, played touching renditions of Jim's original songs. There were also several heartwarming video tributes to Jim that were produced by fans and family members.

The Jim Chapin Memorial Teacher Scholarship is maintained by the Percussive Arts Society (PAS). It is open to instructors who want to improve their teaching programs and will be awarded annually. PAS is a 501(c)(3) organization, so all contributions are deductible in accordance with IRS rules and regulations.

To make a donation, visit http://members.pas.org/fundraising.aspx and select #23, "Jim Chapin Teacher Scholarship" from the pull-down menu.

Special thanks to Jules Follett (Sticks 'n' Skins) for providing these photos.