KSYM 90.1 Music director Alexandra De La Garza introduces the SPACE WLVS at the Alternative 2 Hunger benefit show hosted by the campus radio station Nov. 17 at The Mix. The event raised food for St. Peters- St. Joseph Children’s Home. Ashley Bailey
St. Peter-St. Joseph Children’s Home seeks volunteers.
By Dillon Holloway
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
Local rock bands and campus radio station help put food on table for charity
St. Peter-St. Joseph Children’s Home seeks volunteers.
Campus radio station KSYM 90.1 FM raised about $1,000 in donations at the 20th annual Alternative 2 Hunger charity concert Nov. 17, at The Mix, 2423 N. St. Mary’s St.
The fundraiser produced $736 in cash and $350 worth of food, including three frozen turkeys, with all proceeds going to St. Peter-St. Joseph Children’s Home, Matthew Martinez, radio-television-broadcasting sophomore, and student DJ, said Nov. 21.
Martinez, who ran a video camera to record the event, said highlights from the concert would be available on the radio station’s YouTube page soon.
The KSYM YouTube page is www.youtube.com/ksymradio.
Alexandra De La Garza, RTVB freshman, and KSYM music director, was in charge of recruiting bands for the event.
The five bands who performed were Los #3 Dinners, True Indigo, Space WLVS, The Ghost in The Machine and St. Dukes.
Oscar Webber, who plays lead guitar and provides vocals for True Indigo, said this was the band’s first year performing at the annual fundraiser.
“If I knew how to do roofing, if I knew how to do that, I would go in and help people who need it,” Webber said. “We’re ready to use our trade just to help people.”
Webber said Alternative 2 Hunger is the third fundraiser the band participated in November.
True Indigo has been performing for a year and a half, he said.
The band can be reached on Facebook at www.facebook.com/trueindigotheband and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/trueindigomusic.
St. Peter-St. Joseph Children’s Home, also known as St. PJ’s, was represented at the event by Rey Acosta, vice
Rey Acosta, vice president of programs at St.Peter- St. Joseph Children’s Home, attends the 20th annual charity event hosted by KSYM Nov. 15 at The Mix, a local bar on N. St. Mary’s St., to help raise food for the children at St.PJ’s. Acosta has developed a passion for helping children in the community during his 12 years with the organization. Ashley Bailey
president of programs.
This is the second year in a row that Alternative 2 Hunger has sponsored St. PJ’s, and the fundraiser has sponsored the children’s home in previous years as well.
Alternative 2 Hunger is St. PJ’s only major food drive, Acosta said.
“We are very grateful for what KSYM does for us in terms of putting this event on and advertising St. PJ’s on the air,” he said. “There is such a huge need for it, especially during the holidays.”
St. PJ’s has been helping children and families for over 125 years and has served over 1,400 families in 2016.
The children’s home has a 135-bed shelter and children stay 74 days on average, Acosta said.
The children’s home provides food, clothing, medical treatment, case management and therapy.
Acosta said that any and all people are encouraged to volunteer at the children’s home.
Acosta said many people with various skills and trades have helped the children’s home.
“We recently had a mechanic, he just wanted to help out anyway he could,” he said. “He was on center showing teenagers important skills like how to change the oil on a car.”
Anyone interested in volunteering can apply on St. PJ’s website at www.stpjhome.org/volunteer.
Potential volunteers must pass a background check and a tuberculosis skin test.
For more information about KSYM and the station’s upcoming programs, visit www.ksym.org.
