RRHS freshmen organize dinner concert for grief center

Two Rio Rancho High School students organized a charity dinner concert to benefit the Grief Center in Albuquerque Aug. 17 at Sandia Presbyterian Church, and the night went swimmingly.

Aaron Christensen and Jack Skousen, two friends who started their freshman year at RRHS two weeks ago, have taken part in Harmonies of Hope for a while and seized the opportunity to organize it this year.

Their goal was to raise $15,000 but at the end of the night they were able to raise just over $10,000, which Grief Center Development Director Suzie Blake says is still a huge success.

"It is such a wonderful event with a big heart," she said.

There were several talented young men and women performing theater pieces throughout the evening. Skousen sang "Bridge Over Troubled Water" with the ability to hold notes that impressed everyone in the audience, and Christensen sang "The Climb" in a rather animated but talented performance. The audience was also touched by the range Skousen's sister Megan brought in two of her performances. Megan is a RRHS graduate and will be attending college this year.

The audience got a trip down memory lane with a few numbers like "I Have Confidence" from the "Sound of Music," "Fly Me To the Moon" and "Rainbow Connection" from "The Muppet Movie." The most nostalgic numbers were both performed by the Sandia Sound Barber Shop Quartet, which sang "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair and Blue Skies."

While the audience was being wowed by each performance, they were treated to a spaghetti dinner and cake for dessert. However, the importance of the evening came out when a video with a message of the founder of the event, Breton Sego.

"The Grief Center was so special to me because of my cousin. This is Lucy. Lucy was born on a very special day, St. Patrick's Day. Her favorite color was green, and the four-leaf clover was a symbol of the strength and determination she had through her short life," he said in the video as photos of Lucy showed on the screen.

He explained that Lucy had been diagnosed with brain cancer at the age of 5 and passed away in 2017. Every person in the show and running it was wearing a four-leaf clover. He added that grief doesn't go away and that people's capacity for it changes over time.

As part of the evening, Blake encouraged people to try an M&M game that prompted different questions about hope and struggles. Each color had a different question attached to it.

Before the event, the Skousen and Christensen explained why it was so important for them to organize it.

"So this is going to be a dinner concert. There will be a bunch of talented singers from across the Albuquerque area singing solos, and there's going to be group numbers, too. While that's happening, there's a dinner going on. It's pretty cool," Skousen said.

Christensen further explained that the grief center event will allow people of all ages to meet people who have been in similar situations of grief.

"All the benefits that we raise from Harmonies of Hope will go directly to the grief center," he said.

Christensen says this is their third year participating in the event.

"It's just a really great cause, and it's just a really uplifting and inspiring night. If you go, you'll like be able to feel peace and just feel how amazing, and what a great event it is," he said.

The group who participated was mostly the same people in previous years, according to Skousen.

"But they couldn't so it this year, so we we were like, 'Why not Branch out?'" he said.

Kids and teens of all ages participated. For these two friends, it is impressive that young people around their age are helping with the event when they could be doing other things.

"Doing this is really inspiring," Christensen added.

Skousen chimed in, saying the nine people participating are excited to be a part of it.

"They're not they're not, like, sitting at home playing video games. They're actually doing something, and it's really cool," he said.

He enjoys it, too.

“Harmonies of Hope has been one of the most inspiring and fun acts of kindness I’ve ever been a part of. It has truly been a life-changing event, and I’m so glad I am able to continue its legacy and help the Grief Center even more,” he said.

The boys explained that in the past individuals organized the event but they decided to co-chair this year.

"We started thinking that we could be co-chairs and because we've been participating in it in years past and were like, 'Well maybe since no one else can we can step up and try to make it happen again this year, hopefully we'll be able to do that for the next four years until we've graduated high school, too,'" Christensen said.

Suzie Blake, the Grief Center's director of development, appreciated the initiative that young people take with the event.

“What impresses me most about this event is how our local youth have continued to take a leadership role in not only planning the event and securing donations but also putting the performances together and singing in the show,” she said.

“They are a great example of how young people can make a difference for an important cause and those who are grieving.”

Christensen and Skousen intend to head the event until they finish high school.