Roca will present its Third Annual Benefit Concert on December 3, 2010 at the organization’s headquarters located at 101 Park Street, Chelsea. The event celebrates the musical abilities of Roca participants while drawing attention to youth violence. Performing artists include Jerry Rivera, a Latin Grammy Award winner, alongside Jam’n 94.5 FM’s Ramiro Torres, who will serve as host. The concert begins at 7:00 p.m. and is expected to draw over 400 attendees.
The VIP Reception and Benefit Concert, sponsored by TD Bank and TD Insurance, combines quality entertainment with a message of support for young people affected by streets and poverty. Redemption serves as the program’s central theme, reflecting Roca’s approach to addressing serious challenges in participants’ lives and fostering meaningful community dialogue. Through this event, Roca aims to increase its profile while prompting reflection on how to prevent youth from falling victim to violence and poverty.
Founder and CEO Molly Baldwin emphasized the event’s significance, stating “Our community has had to deal with terrible violence in the past year- violent deaths of and by people who are way too young. No one should lose their life to violence, but when it is a young person, it is particularly hard for a community to cope with,”. She continued, “But after the tears, the prayers, the speeches, and the calls for a renewed push to end the violence, we are left with the question – “What do we do?” We must learn each day how to make choices and do the things we need to do to bring peace to our lives, our families and communities, this is what we hope to bring to the concert this year.”
Roca has earned national recognition for successfully redirecting high-risk youth away from violence and poverty through effective intervention strategies that demonstrate behavior change is possible. The organization’s annual benefit concerts have proven instrumental in advancing its mission, reaching over 40,000 people through media coverage and community outreach. Previous concerts have featured platinum-selling artists including Milly Quezada, Julio Voltio, El Jeffrey, and Xtreme, representing Latin, Pop, Hip Hop, and rock genres.
Currently, Roca works intensively with 705 young people annually and provides additional services to 250 youth. Many participants are gang-involved, homeless, incarcerated or formerly incarcerated, school dropouts, or at risk of dropping out. Several are parents, some as young as 12 years old. Over its 23-year history, Roca has assisted more than 20,000 young people in transforming their lives.
For additional details about Roca and this concert, visit www.rocainc.org or contact Angie Rodriguez at [email protected] or (617) 889-5210 ext.258.