The next time somebody tries to tell you that today’s teenagers
are just no good, you might want to direct them to Sarah Hutchinson
and Mayte Mendoza, two local teens who hope to use the power of
rock ‘n’ roll to benefit a tyke in need of a helping hand.
The next time somebody tries to tell you that today’s teenagers are just no good, you might want to direct them to Sarah Hutchinson and Mayte Mendoza, two local teens who hope to use the power of rock ‘n’ roll to benefit a tyke in need of a helping hand.
Many local residents will be familiar with the story of Gabriel Fisch, an 18-month-old baby diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, a type of cancer that forms in the nerve tissue. In early 2006, doctors found one tumor in Gabriel’s adrenal gland, three against his spinal cord and three in his head, none of which were operable. Stanford doctors estimated that the boy had a 30 percent chance of survival.
“We heard about Gabriel in the newspaper, and it was so sad because of how young he is,” said Hutchinson, 14. “Then we realized that he lived on our street, and we knew we had to help.”
Gabriel’s family was not available for comment Tuesday as he was undergoing a medical procedure out of town.
Earlier in the year, Hutchinson and Mendoza organized a car wash to benefit Gabriel that raised more than $700 for the family, but they wanted to do more to help with his medical bills, which the pair believe to be more than $700,000.
“We did pretty well, but we didn’t raise as much money as we wanted, so we started thinking about other things we could do,” said Mendoza, 14.
The idea of a benefit concert came naturally to the two, who play in a band of their own, 13 Van Winkle, and are friends with many local musicians.
“We love music, and we know that a lot of people like the local bands,” said Hutchinson. “So we thought we could put on a show that people would enjoy and would still help a good cause.”
Fundraising isn’t exactly a foreign concept to the pair, who are extensively involved with student activities at San Benito High School – both will hold sophomore class office come fall. Still, putting together a major musical event without the guidance of experienced adults was a challenge.
“After we figured out who was going to play at the concert, we didn’t know how to get a venue or anything,” said Mendoza. “And we like to dress in what you might call punk-rock attire, so sometimes we would approach people for donations and they wouldn’t take us seriously. They didn’t believe we wanted to do something nice.”
Hutchinson’s mother, Anne Marie, stepped up to serve as a mentor to the girls – advising as to which venues might work for their show, or where to get insurance.
After nearly three months of effort, however, the girls’ plans seem to be paying off. Six local bands will be performing at the Rancho San Justo Gym in honor of Gabriel, offering music selections from light rock to heavy metal. Hutchinson and Mendoza think they will be able to raise at least $1,000 for the Fisch family, if not more.
“We think this is really worthwhile,” said Mendoza. “If you believe in something, you should try and organize your own fundraiser for it, because when it’s all over you feel really good about yourself. You’ve helped someone who needed it.”
Danielle Smith covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or ds****@fr***********.com
