A shared birthday celebration raised over $31,000 to support music programs for youth in the North Bay. The third annual Birthday Benefit Bash, hosted by Brett Martinez, President and CEO of Redwood Credit Union (RCU), and Mark Nelson, lead singer of Walking Mirrors Music, brought together 250 guests at HopMonk Tavern in Sebastopol on Saturday, April 19.

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Mark Nelson (left), lead singer of Walking Mirrors Music and Brett Martinez (right), President & CEO of Redwood Credit Union hosted a Birthday Bash and raised money for local youth music programs. Photo credit: Will Bucquoy/Redwood Credit Union

The sold-out event raised a total of $31,502, with all proceeds benefiting the Redwood Credit Union Community Fund (RCUCF). The funds will support three local nonprofits:

• Enriching Lives Through Music (ELM)
  
  “We’re going to use the proceeds from RCU’s Birthday Bash Fundraiser to support our Summer Music Program,” said Andrea Lloyd, director of development for ELM. “It’s a chamber music program where students come together to play without a conductor. They need to listen to each other, take turns leading, and work together. It’s a great way for them to learn about collaboration, leadership, and other essential skills.”

• Chop’s Teen Club Music Program
  
  “We want to support our teens by having the right equipment, the right instruments, and professional recording tools they can use in the real world,” said Melissa Stewart, executive director of the Chop’s Teen Club. “It’s an expensive program, so to have an infusion of money to ensure it stays here and has longevity is really important to us.”

• Luther Burbank Center’s Mariachi Ensemble
  
  “Our Mariachi Ensemble keeps growing, and so does the need for instructors, and uniforms,” said Ashleigh Worley, director of education and community engagement for the Luther Burbank Center. “We plan to use the funds to make sure we have the staff to support this program and the crisp, beautiful traje de charro uniforms the students get to wear when they perform.”

“This was a fun and meaningful way for Mark and me to celebrate our birthdays while giving back to the community,” said Martinez. “Thanks to the generosity of our supporters and the incredible work of these three organizations, we’re helping to inspire the next generation of musicians and artists.”

Walking Mirrors is a rock band formed in 2019 by Nelson and guitarist/producer Craig Bartock (of the band Heart), that donates proceeds from all performances to local nonprofits.

“Celebrating with my good friend Brett while supporting causes we care about is a true honor,” said Nelson. “It’s exactly what Walking Mirrors Music is all about—connecting with the community through live music.”

The RCU Community Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, channels 100% of donations directly into the community, supporting financial education, disaster relief, housing, and community wellness initiatives. Visit RCUCommunityFund.org to learn more.

About Redwood Credit Union

Founded in 1950, Redwood Credit Union is a full-service, not-for-profit financial institution providing personal and business banking to consumers and businesses in the North Bay and San Francisco. With a mission to passionately serve the best interests of its members, team members, and communities, RCU delivers many ways for its members to save and build money through checking and savings accounts, auto and home loans, credit cards, digital banking, business services, commercial and SBA lending, and more. Wealth management and investment services are available through Redwood Wealth Management, and insurance and auto-purchasing services are also offered through RCU Services Group (RCU’s wholly owned subsidiary). RCU has more than $9.3 billion in assets and serves more than 497,000 members with full-service branches from San Francisco to Ukiah. For more information, call 1 (800) 479-7928, visit redwoodcu.org, or follow RCU on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn for news and updates.

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“Thanks to the generosity of our supporters and the incredible work of these three organizations, we’re helping to inspire the next generation of musicians and artists.”- Brett Martinez, President & CEO, Redwood Credit Union