A Passion for Music - Cathy Dawson & Don Hessenflow

For some, the arts provide a pleasant background to everyday life. For others, the arts are life. Such is the case for Cathy Dawson, a clarinetist of 60 years. When she and her husband, Don Hessenflow, were scouting for a community to retire to, they knew that having a local orchestra was non-negotiable. Relocating in 2017 from San Antonio, where they had supported that community’s orchestra for many years, the couple immediately connected with Greg Johnson, president of the Board of Directors for the Gainesville Orchestra. Cathy and Don confess that they didn’t initially know anything about our local Orchestra, other than that we had one. But their support was immediate, with the purchase of season tickets. Cathy believes that “our culture is who we are as a people” and though her arthritis means she can no longer play the clarinet, she has turned to studying piano. “I'm a farm kid from Nebraska,” says Don with a laugh, “and so she’s had to take me from agriculture to culture.” But with his background in development work and hers in nonprofits, both were keenly aware of the struggles arts institutions face. From that initial support, Cathy knew she wanted to do more, but the couple also wanted to ensure her savings would be put to good use and would be sustainable. The orchestra in their previous community had struggled and used donations to cover expenses, ultimately going under. When discussing setting up an endowment directly with the Gainesville Orchestra, Cathy, as well as Board President Johnson, had concerns about the costs and ongoing maintenance required to manage an individual fund. And that’s where the Community Foundation of North Central Florida came in. Cathy set up an initial conversation with the team at CFNCF, and as Cathy says, “It really was almost that simple. From that initial meeting, we discussed my goals and decided to set up an endowment fund.” With an initial gift of $10,000, the couple plans to add $10,000 per year and Cathy, who has no children or other close relatives, has designated her retirement fund to add to the endowment upon her passing. “It really is a good guarantee for the future,” says Cathy. “We’ll continue to add to the fund each year and other like-minded community members can add to it as well. CFNCF takes care of all the paperwork and legal requirements, and that’s just the way we like it—it’s easy for us and easy for the Orchestra.” The couple tries to keep a low profile as supporters, not looking for public recognition, but their connection to the local musicians and to the philanthropic work of the Gainesville Orchestra, which supports music education in our underserved schools, has been very gratifying. The ripples from their initial support of the Orchestra have “really spread,” says Cathy, “a lot further and wider than you’d expect. If you’ve been blessed and there’s something you can do, it’s pretty neat to be able to give back.”