Three Cups of Tea Song
Eighty-two Ardenwood elementary school children from third, fourth, fifth and sixth grades, with Pennies for Peace banners across their chests, moved an audience of almost 2000 to tears when they sang the Pennies for Peace song when Greg Mortenson came to Logan High School on Tuesday, March 3.
The choir was under the direction of Mary Lynn Pelican, AAUW membership chair and Three Cups of Tea volunteer, who taught at the school for many years and has been part of the elementary school’s music program.
In the evening event, Carol Zilli, executive director of Music for Minors II and Sandy Shimkus sang the song for the audience of over 800.
Music for Minors II is a non-profit organization whose mission for the last 20 years has been fostering music education for children everywhere.
The song, Three Cups of Tea, was recorded in Nashville and composed by Jake Fleming. You can hear this song on Greg Mortenson’s CD, available through amazon.com and sung by well-known jazz singer Jeni Fleming and Greg Mortenson’s nine-year-old daughter Amira Mortenson.
The heroes of this song are the children who, in the face of adversity and poverty, pursue their dream of an education. The song ends with: “Be the change we wish to be,” encouraging all young people to help their fellow children to have access to education.
All proceeds from the sale of this song go to the Central Asia Institute.