On Dec. 11, 2014, my parents told my sister and I that we were attending an event at the Mall of America called the “Clouds Choir” for a Cause. Being young, I did not understand the significance of the event nor the reason I was attending it. However, when I arrived there, the Huntington Bank Rotunda was filled with thousands of people dressed in persian blue, and I sympathetically admired the crowd as it performed this song called “Clouds.”
Preceding the event, the story of Zach Sobiech was shared with me. Zach Sobiech was a teenage musician from Lakeland, Minnesota, and his single, “Clouds,” had been trending globally prior to him passing away from osteosarcoma in 2013. The “Clouds Choir” for a Cause, held by KS95 in partnership with Children’s Cancer Research Fund, is held annually to honor Zach’s legacy of joy and perseverance, raising awareness and funds for children fighting cancer. Attending the event has become a tradition for many people, and it has been a reflection of how gratifying it is to appreciate life and what it means to live.
KSTP-FM, or KS95, is a local radio station in St. Paul, Minnesota and was the first to spread the music Zach Sobiech had created. The radio station has since been supporters of the Zach Sobiech Osteosarcoma Fund. KSTP-FM was instrumental in arranging for Zach and his friend Sammy, also known as A Firm Handshake, to record the song and their album “Fix Me Up.” Following the release of their album, “A Firm Handshake” would become an internet sensation, and “Clouds” would be played everywhere.
When Zach passed away, his music filled the silence. His story is an inspiration to those who carry their own battles, as he was able to articulate into words what many patients have thought; his legacy reminds people of the fragility of life but the importance of living it. That is why, in 2020, Disney+ translated his life story to film, releasing “Clouds.” I had heard Zach’s story in countless ways and felt as though I knew it, but to see it on the screen and told in a way that touched even more people was intense. Though I had always known it, watching the film made me see the impact Zach’s story will forever have and recognize the importance of the “Clouds Choir” for a Cause.
This year, the “Clouds Choir” for a Cause was held on Dec. 8. Prior to the events, KS95 had their 25th annual KS95 for Kids Radiothon, an on-air fundraiser benefiting Gillete and M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital Cancer Program. During the event, KS95 allowed patients to tell their stories and encouraged listeners to raise funds for the cause. This year, over one million dollars was raised.
The “Clouds Choir” for a Cause is an exceptional event in itself. The holiday season is a period in which love, hope and togetherness are valued. In introducing and reaffirming Zach’s story, sharing the stories of other patients and raising awareness and funds for childhood cancer, love, hope and togetherness are all demonstrated.
Each person can learn from Zach and his legacy. He carried the burden of dying with grace and constantly cared for those around him before himself. His life was dedicated to making people smile. Reading and hearing the way in which he approached death is inspirational and beyond me. Zach said, “You don’t have to find out you’re dying to start living. I want to be remembered as a kid who went down fighting, and didn’t really lose.” That is why I connect with his story and the “Cloud Choir” for a Cause. That is why I stand in the crowd and sing.
The event itself was great. Nunnabove, a sibling band based in the Twin Cities, was the opening act; they sang their renditions of holiday classics and modern music, exciting the crowd and filling the period of anticipation that was in between the Kids Radiothon and shopping and the actual event. The event began promptly at 6:00 p.m.. Sections of the floor and of the balconies had been designated for the people who purchased wristbands, and people who did not register for the event filled the remaining space.
The choir — composed of students from Minnetonka Middle School West and Twin Cities Community Gospel Choir — led the crowd in the singing of “Clouds.” Seeing people from all around the state become one voice made apparent how special and precious life is and the ways in which we take it for granted. To love and care for the people who surround us will always be our greatest strength, and that is reflected in Zach’s story and the reality that people continue to celebrate it.
Though Zach passed away in 2013, he is still creating opportunities for patients and survivors to share the stories they have and for funds to be raised for the improvement of treatment. The “Clouds Choir” for a Cause raised over one-hundred thousand dollars this year for the Zach Sobiech Osteosarcoma Fund. Every person had a place and a purpose at the concert, and I hope to see more and more people join the crowd each year because the stories of Zach and those like him deserve to be heard. They deserve to know that we believe in them and that “everything will be just fine.”
