Celebrity Concert Benefits Union Station Foundation
La Canada Flintridge Outlook
An ensemble of world-class musicians performed at the seventh annual “An Evening for the Station: A Soulful, Swinging Celebration.
More than 180 guests converged at the The LA Music Academy to enjoy the celebrity concert, which raised more than $120,000 to benefit Union Station Foundation, the largest social service agency serving the poor and homeless in the Pasadena area.
Performers included Jean Baylor, Robben Ford, Kevyn Lettau, Eric Marienthal, Michael Shapiro, Jerry Watts and the Yellowjackets, including Russell Ferrante, Jimmy Haslip and Maracus Baylor. Adam Arkin was master of ceremonies. World-renowned visual artist Tim Biskup created the visuals for the event, including posters and a limited-edition serigraph print of the poster. The public an purchase the serigraph on Biskup’s website The proceeds will benefit Union Station.
Co-chaired by La Canada Flintridge residents Jennifer Essen and Sherry Kirchheimer, the committee worked for months preparing for this evening.
Gerry Puhara, who created An Evening for the Station and chaired the committee for four years, continues to serve on the event committee with other LCF residents Edwina Dedlow, Terry Gordon, Carol Muller, Shirley Nakaki and Marjan Neyestani.
An Evening for the Station has become a passion for everyone involved, including the musicians, the committee and the faculty and students at LA Music Academy. The intimate nature of the event, along with the dedication and year-round involvement of the performers, made this a truly unique and special evening for the guests and the performers. An Evening for the Station allows the performers the rare opportunity to create music in a relaxed and familiar setting. The artists donated their time and talent, ensuring that all proceeds from the concert benefit Union Station’s programs for homeless adults and families.
Union Station Foundation is a community-based, non-denominational, non-profit social service agency serving Pasadena and the West San Gabriel Valley. Its mission is to provide homeless and poor men, women and families with the means to transform their lives so they can become productive, stable and self-supporting. The Foundation believes in the inherent worth and dignity of every individual and strives to provide the highest quality of services based on a foundation of respect for all people.
To accomplish its mission, Union Station Foundation operates a 36-bed adult shelter, a 50-bed family shelter, a 14-unit transitional housing facility for families, an intake and assessment center, and a career development program. Its professional staff, along with over 500 community volunteers, provides an array of supportive services to residents and clients. They serve more than 155,000 meals each year to the homeless and hungry. All programs and services are provided free of charge.