GR Band Kids holds benefit concert for earthquake victims

By Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta
Correspondent
GLEN RIDGE, NJ — The devastating earthquakes that battered both Turkey and Syria earlier this year was upsetting to Glen Ridge High School senior, Yasmin Ayan.

She knew people who were affected – no one in her immediate family, but friends, cousins, and distant relatives.
“It really hit home,” she said. “Turkey is my home country.”

The disaster impacted millions of people and left thousands homeless near the Turkey-Syria border on Feb. 6. Wanting to make a difference, Yasmin organized bake sales and ran a few clothing drives.
She then got in touch with a group of musician friends who had put on a concert last year to support Ukraine and raised over a thousand dollars for the people in that embattled country.

“They look for national causes – charity raising for international crises,” she said.
The high school musicians go by the name GR Band Kids (Glen Rock Band Kids) and are putting on a show to raise funds on Thursday, June 1, at the Women’s Club of Glen Ridge, 219 Ridgewood Ave., at 7 p.m.
GR Band Kids are made up of Avery Kin on piano, Ellis Kastenneier on flute, Sydney Fink on bassoon, and Yasmin on harmonica. They will be performing jazz and classical music.

“The last song is ‘Piano Man,’” Yasmin said. “That’s where I come in, on the harmonica.”
It was Avery from GR Band Kids who came up with the idea of having a benefit concert two years ago while looking at old yearbooks and seeing students from the 40s having an organized concert for World War II. He decided to revitalize the tradition.

The concert is free, but they are accepting donations at the door. All proceeds will go to UN Crisis Relief. The amount raised will be announced at the end of the evening. Yasmin chose to support the UN Crisis Relief because she was looking at the most trusted sources and felt they had good humanitarian efforts.

Yasmin feels this event will bring the community together to recognize the impact this earthquake had. “We have such a good program,” she said. “The kids put so much time into rehearsal, putting their work to good use.”
The money raised for UN Crisis Relief will go towards shelter, food, water, and heat for the earthquake victims.
“I hope people come and enjoy the music,” Yasmin said. “We’re excited about it.”

As a current senior, Yasmin won’t be returning to perform for a GR Band Kids fundraiser next year, as she’ll be off to college. But since Sydney is a junior, she hopes the band will continue. “I think they will,” she said, “and put the money towards another crisis. It would be nice to see it [the fundraiser] recycled.”
For more information, contact Yasmin Ayan at yaziayan@gmail.com.

For more information on UN Crisis Relief, visit: https://crisisrelief.un.org/
To donate directly to the cause, visit: https://crisisrelief.un.org/turkiye-syria-earthquake-appeal.