<--demetra and syra "backstage" at rock for charityThe Just Because Initiative has some new stars! The weekend was an incredible culmination of a year's worth of hard work by Demetra Londos and Syra Vasquez, two seniors at Regina Dominican HS in Wilmette, IL. These two have taken what we've been trying to do with The Just Because Initiative and exceed our wildest expectations. The result? Over $4000 raised for two different charities, great exposure for a number of local independent musicians, praise in the form of a feature in the local Tribune newspaper, and the emergence of two bonafide student leaders.
Last year we were approached by the two young women when they expressed interest in putting together a concert benefiting a charity promoting autism awareness. They faced some serious pessimism from administrators but Syra, Demetra, and their Regina counselors were able to get enough support from students and parents to pull it off. After a few months of working out the logistics, the concert finally happened in April at a parish auditorium near Regina. 70 or so students from Regina showed up, student bands performed before Cavashawn, and all in all, they managed to make $1200 for the charity. By anyone's standards the concert was a success.
But Syra and Demetra were determined to take the lessons they learned from planning the first concert and put together an even bigger and better one. Rock For Charity, as they dubbed it, was going to raise money for To Write Love On Her Arms, a teen suicide prevention organization. They wanted get more people to show up, raise more money, and get more local bands. A hefty goal, but we weren't about to get in their way! We got to work devising a strategy with the girls.
<--promotional flyers were everywhere!After meeting a number of times over the course of the fall, we were able to help them come up with a workable approach to promote and pull the concert off. They were interested in getting other popular Chicago bands for the show, and they wanted to expand to promote at other schools. We discussed sound equipment needs, promotional strategy, and how they were going to work within a budget to make a significant amount of profit from the show. These two stepped up. They convinced the bands they wanted that the show would be worthwhile, and they put together promotional and day-of-show logistical strategies that any local band or club would envy.
<--cavashawn closed out a fun night of local music. Not surprisingly, the show was a huge success! About 200 students showed up, and between raffling off prizes and selling refreshments and snacks, the students created multiple sources of revenue. In addition to Cavashawn, four other prominent Chicago bands shared the bill: Coventry, Last Fast Action, A Kidnap in Color, and Devon Kay & the Solutions. Budding independent musicians were exposed to new fans, students enjoyed themselves, and in the end, profit from the November concert was over $2700!
The process was smooth, but that's not to say the two didn't experience their fair share of challenges. I think its safe to say these girls learned a bit about leadership throughout the process, and we witnessed a few very real moments of personal growth.
There was one point last month where Syra and Demetra came to us particularly frustrated with what they perceived as a lack of support from some of the other students who had promised to be involved. What they realized (or at least what we talked about) was, as leaders, it was their responsibility to inspire the people around them, not the other way around. Every entrepreneur or leader has moments of despair where the pressure of self-imposed responsibilities becomes overwhelming. It's easy to blame others for not pulling their weight, perhaps rightfully so. But great leaders dig within themselves and find a way to motivate instead of blaming. That's what Syra and Demtera were able to do. With huge support from their student body, the concert was one of our best. Great work guys! We're proud of you.
