La Sierra Students Make Music For Missions

By Laura Samano

The Student Association of La Sierra University (S A L S U) hosted a benefit music festival on campus in early March that raised more than $2,800 for a struggling Adventist school in Malawi, Africa. The Malamulo College of Health Sciences' 2009 school year was delayed a month due to a government inspection that the school failed. Dorm overcrowding, inadequate kitchen facilities, and insufficient classroom space were the primary reasons cited for the government's action.

Seventh-day Adventist universities and colleges in the United States are aiming to raise $100,000. La Sierra University students accepted the challenge to raise $10,000 toward the overall national goal. Funds raised will be matched by Habitat for Humanity, an international Christian housing ministry that seeks to provide housing to the homeless around the world and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action.

The La Sierra music festival featured five stages with multiple performers at each stage. Each of the more than 250 attendees of the concert donated $5 in order to get into each stage or $10 to attend for all festival access. Volunteer students roamed the event carrying buckets in which people could make additional donations. These buckets raised $966.71.

The festival featured a reunion performance by Big Face Grace, a Christian music group formed at Andrews University in the 1990s. Sam Leonor, La Sierra University campus pastor and a member of Big Face Grace at Andrews, was joined by the rest BFG's members for the La Sierra event. Four of the group are now active pastors involved in college/youth/young adult ministries. This one-time only concert was their way of supporting the students' fundraising efforts. Other performers included Nick Zork, Gian Caballero, Cartero, Iguana Stu, Miracle Dolls, The Transfats, Off Track, Sal and Isela, Vedda, Who is Chuy Vega, Winston and the Telescreen, Aaron Roche, Aaron Beaumont, Deirdre Raymond and Soul of the River. All of the students and performers volunteered their time and energy.

The Malawi Benefit Festival was one of the many events that La Sierra has hosted so far this year to raise money for Malamulo. "S A L S U collected a $1,278.18 offering during a university worship service this year. All together, La Sierra students have raised $4404.77 so far,” says Cindy Sihotang S A L S U Financial Vice President.

PR Contact: Larry Becker
Executive Director of University Relations
La Sierra University
Riverside, California
951.785.2460 (voice)