A fundraiser organized by a group of Cate School students brought in more than $1,000 in less than two hours to support those affected by the recent wildfires in Los Angeles.
The event, held at the Carpinteria Arts Center, featured live performances in a benefit concert coordinated and performed entirely by Cate students.
Seniors Quinn Vanasco and Nic Forry, co-heads of Cate’s Current Events Club, spearheaded the initiative after hearing about the fires.
“We wanted to find a way to use our skills to help,” said Vanasco, who also performed at the concert.
Inspired by the spirit of Live Aid, Vanasco and Forry rallied support from their classmates and worked together to organize the fundraiser in just a few days.
Vanasco took the lead on logistics, managing equipment, and organizing performers to ensure the event ran seamlessly.
“It was really a group effort, and everyone put in an incredible amount of work to make this happen,” Vanasco said. “I’m so appreciative of all the people around us who truly embodied the idea of Servons [Cate’s motto meaning ‘let us serve’].”
Junior Ramya Bangaru, a Pasadena native, and ninth-grader Posie Hexner, of Pacific Palisades, were eager to help their hometowns and quickly connected with Vanasco and Forry to offer assistance.
Bangaru, a member of the fundraising committee on Cate’s Round Square Board, who has worked for Carpinteria Children’s Project, brought experience to the table, along with her talents as a singer and performer.
“This fundraiser was especially rewarding knowing it was helping friends and family in my hometown,” Bangaru said. “There’s only so much you can do on your own – it was truly a community effort.”
Hexner, with help from sophomore Colin Hendler, took the initiative to create signs and generate real-time awareness for the event. Their efforts helped draw a large audience to the Arts Center, which was also hosting one of its regular weekend art shows.
Hexner’s dedication to helping her community extended beyond the event. When the fires first started, she returned home to Los Angeles to volunteer and provide support.
“I had gone home that weekend and was volunteering, doing what I could in LA, so when I came back to Cate, it was important to continue serving,” she said. “Having another community where I could still support my hometown was meaningful.”
Will Holmes, Cate’s director of community engagement, provided guidance behind the scenes, but emphasized the students’ resourcefulness and determination in organizing the event quickly.
“It was incredible to see different groups of students come together,” Holmes said. “The initiative and leadership that they showed was inspiring.”
More than a dozen students participated, including Cate’s a capella group No Strings Attached, featuring Vanasco, Cate’s Busking Club, Bangaru, and others.
To support those affected by the Los Angeles wildfires, consider donating to Direct Relief’s California Fire Relief fund.