It takes $50,000 to build a school for Sierra Leonean children and a group of Foothill seniors have set out to raise this money for their Hero projects. One of the major fundraisers is Foothill for Africa, a benefit concert that will take place at EPIC Ventura on Saturday, Dec. 4, from 7 to 11 p.m.
“It’s to get the word out and get more people so they know about it and what we are doing,” Cherie Eulau said. Eulau and Melissa Wantz, both Foothill teachers, taught at a workshop for teachers in Sierra Leone in June 2010. While there, they visited Lungi which is where the school will be built.
“Everyone involved in this Hero Project is very dedicated to the project, and both Mrs. Eulau and Mrs. Wantz do everything they can to help,” Foothill senior Michael Huang said.
“We hope to create a ripple in society,” Foothill senior and concert coordinator Bill Grundler said. “We hope to get the ball rolling on this locally.”
Grundler and Huang have planned the concert along with True Randall and others.
Grundler is the lead singer and guitarist of The Rhine, one of the bands that will be playing this Saturday. Randall is the bassist and Huang is the keyboardist for the band.
“Music, as a societal microcosm, has always been extremely influential,” Grundler said. “So it’s influence that we hope to bring to the table.”
The Rhine will be performing along with Britney Christian, North Woods, and Red Terrain on Saturday.
The band has recorded four original songs, titled “Salone EP”, that it plans to circulate at the concert. “We have been trying to create hype for the release of the EP at the show,” Grundler said.
Tickets will be sold during FIRE and lunch all of this week. The tickets are $10 presale and $12 at the door. The Foothill for Africa Benefit Concert is also a public event on Facebook.