Columbia High School junior Galileo “Leo” Panagopulos has long had a passion for playing and customizing guitars and an over a year ago, he learned how to rebuild them.
Leo, 16, also has deep respect for the military, since members of his family have served in the armed forces going back generations, so when he learned last fall about a lack of creative resources available in some VA hospitals, he knew he could do something to change that.
In short order, he launched “ReSTRUNG,” a nonprofit dedicated to restoring acoustic guitars and donating them to veterans at in-patient programs around the state.
Leo Panagopulos repairs guitars in his basement workshop. (Photo by Laura Griffin)
“I love playing guitar and restoring guitars. And I thought this was something where I could do some good,” he said, adding he spends at least an hour a day in his basement cleaning and restringing and repairing the guitars.
Leo and his parents, Marissa Ronca and Nick Panagopulos, put the word out about his idea on social media in November and got a great response. He was able to repair several donated guitars and made his first drop at the VA Medical Center in Lyons, New Jersey right before the holidays.
“The hospital sent him home with two guitars to repair and also asked for him to keep them coming — they got a huge response from veterans receiving care under their CORE Program, Women’s Treatment Unit (WTU), PTSD Unit and SARRTP Program,” Marissa said. “These instruments are one of the favored recreational activities, from he heard from the executive medical director.”
In fact, Marissa said, one of the women’s groups has asked for 12 guitars.
Leo Panagopulos with one of the guitars he’s recently refurbished. (Photo by Laura Griffin)
Leo has received another six instruments plus the two he repaired for the hospital and will be doing another drop in the coming weeks, so he’s trying to get the word out in case there’s anyone with an extra guitar gathering dust who’d like to donate it to the project.
“My goal is to donate 50 to 100 guitars this year,” he said.
Guitars waiting to be given a new life. (Photo by Laura Griffin)
As part of the project, Leo not only refurbishes the guitars, he adds a beginner guitar book, a tuner, a case, and picks — everything a veteran might need to start playing. His family has gotten behind the project, helping him with creating a website ReStrung.org, an Instagram account @restrung_usa and a wish list on Amazon for the extras he includes with the guitars as part of the gift to the veterans.
“We’re just so proud of him,” his mom said. “He’s really a craftsman and puts so much into the work. These guitars really do support veterans in their recovery journeys by offering a creative outlet and the therapeutic benefits of music.”
