This article was written for THE VENTURA STAR. And since I wrote a Blog on this benefit concert and the soulful talented, Alex Nester, I thought I would add this to my Blogs. Funny how my name and Dyan Cannon ended up in bold. (Add smiley face) and Katie Brown & Danika Salvaggio.
Simi Valley woman performs at fundraiser to celebrate being cancer-free
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/jun/24/simi-valley-woman-performs-at-fundraiser-to-free/#ixzz1QGmVkTxi
- vcstar.com
Simi Valley resident Alex Nester came up with the perfect way to celebrate her 10-year anniversary on June 18 of being cancer-free: she would organize and perform at a benefit music concert to help other cancer patients.
"I wanted to have a party first and foremost, and I had started working on some new music. I thought the best party I could think of would be a benefit concert," said Nester, who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma when she was 16 and a student at Santa Susana High School. Nester was declared cancer-free after she finished chemotherapy treatment on June 18, 2001, exactly 10 years before the concert.
Michael Delmonte / Contributed photo
Alex Nester of Simi Valley performs at the Troubador. "It was packed. The balcony was covered with people, the whole floor, the whole bar and the front area. It was great. It was such a positive night," Nester said.
Her idea came to fruition June 18 when Nester rocked a packed house at the famed Troubadour club in West Los Angeles. Nester, 27, a soul singer, pianist, songwriter and voice coach, performed all 13 songs from her new, second CD called "#BurnItDown."
The event raised about $10,000 from donations, a silent auction and ticket pre-sales. Nester is donating the proceeds to the American Cancer Society and the Marcelle Erian Cancer Foundation, a local cancer patient support group supported by the Simi Valley office of Nester's oncologist, Dr. Hany R. Khalil. Nester expects to have even more money to donate when proceeds from box office sales are tallied.
To put on the concert, Nester and her parents rented out the entire club (she said they got a bargain rate). Nester and her friends then went to work collecting what she estimates was about $25,000 in donated gifts for a silent auction and to cover other expenses.
The Troubadour can accommodate 450 people, and those who attended said the place was full.
"It was packed. The balcony was covered with people, the whole floor, the whole bar and the front area. It was great. It was such a positive night," Nester said.
Nester's friend D'Anne Fraye of Simi Valley attended and helped work the merchandise booth. Fraye said many Simi Valley residents turned out to celebrate Nester's music and good health.
"We love Alex and wanted to support her second album and her being 10 years cancer-free. That's a big reason to have a celebration. It was a really nice night and there was a ton of support. It was a great show," Fraye said.
Nester said she is donating the proceeds in honor of her late friend Ola Hudson of Los Angeles, who died from lung cancer two years ago.
Katie Brown / Contributed photo
Alex Nester of Simi Valley performed at the Troubador in a cancer benefit show.
"She was an amazing woman and sang background for my last album. I wanted to do something for her," Nester said.
Nester also wants to help cancer patients through the Marcelle Erian Cancer Foundation who are facing a financial burden.
"Treatment is not cheap, medications are not cheap. A lot of times medications are not covered. It's to help with expenses," she said.
The event included a silent auction for items including donated gift baskets and movie passes, and the top donor won a trip for two to the Bahamas, courtesy of Aqua Blue Travel and music producer Kem Williams of Riverside. Other event supporters included writer/director/producer, Scott Casey, actress Dyan Cannon (who attended) and Nester's longtime friends from Simi Valley, Danica Selvaggio, and Katie Brown.
Looking forward, Nester continues to perform locally. She also sings backup for Tito Jackson and teaches voice and piano in Simi Valley and the San Fernando Valley. She will travel with Jackson to Japan in July and to France in August.
"It's exciting. He's been a great supporter for me," she said.
No comments:
Post a Comment