Super Scot Piping Across US For Charity Relies on Local Hospitality

NEW YORK, June 18 /PRNewswire/ — Super Scotsman Rob Calder, a 32 year old bagpiper from Edinburgh, is piping his way across the United States for charity. Calder will spend six weeks “busking” — playing his bagpipes for tips in public — from coast to coast, rain or shine, relying on the kindness of locals and people of Scots descent to host him along the way. He will also offer a piping performance for room and board or a charitable donation.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090618/NY35062 )

Mr. Calder arrived in New York June 9, and made his first $67 on the corner of 47th and 5th. He also appeared on the NBC Today Show and Good Day Philadelphia, which started a steady flow of hospitable invitations to stay with locals in nearly every state he’s visiting.

Calder hopes to earn a minimum of $5,000 for Ecas, an organization that lends help and support to Edinburgh’s physically disabled. He arrived in Richmond, VA yesterday and continues onto Charlotte, SC tomorrow, followed by Tennessee, Louisiana, Texas, Colorado, Nevada, ending in California late July.

After being made redundant by his employer in the spring, Calder was inspired by Scotland’s Homecoming year to invest his compensation package and free time in travel while raising money for charity. Glasgow born, he calls himself the Bagpipe Busker. A friend built the website for him and he’s funding this adventure himself. Calder’s planned itinerary, blog and information on how to make a donation can be found at www.bagpipebusker.com.

When asked what he hopes to accomplish, Calder replied, “I’d like to earn as much as I can for Ecas and raise awareness about the Homecoming year in Scotland, Glasgow and the World Pipe Band Championships in August to thank them for being amongst the first to support me with a donation to the cause.”

For more information about Scotland’s Homecoming year visit http://www.cometoscotland.com/homecoming

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SOURCE Homecoming Scotland