Danica Roache (left), charity representative on Lockview High School's student council, and Jennifer Yakamovich, public relations on student council, look over plans for the upcoming Concert for Haiti, which will be headlined by Jon Bryant. (Healey Photo)

FALL RIVER: A student-driven initiative will see those affected by the devastation resulting from the earthquake in Haiti getting some assistance from people a world away.
Lockview High School, in Fall River, will be putting on a concert in support of Haiti relief efforts Feb. 10, headlined by local rising star Jon Bryant. It begins at 6:30 p.m. and runs until 9 p.m. Other bands will open up for Bryant, but those acts have yet to be confirmed.
Danica Roache and Jennifer Yakamovich are two members on the Lockview High School Student Council. Roache, a Grade 11 student from Beaver Bank, is the charity representative on student council while Fall River’s Yakamovich, also in Grade 11, is the organization’s public relations officer.
The student council was in the process of deciding on a charity that would get the proceeds from their annual charity concert when news broke of the despair and destruction, and need for supplies and relief in Haiti. At that point it was obvious the relief efforts in Haiti was the one to focus on.
“When the earthquake hit, there was no doubt which charity we would support with our concert,” Roache said. “We thought with it being more current people might be more inclined to support and donate towards it.”
Yakamovich added musicians from the school will also perform. It will cost a minimum $2 to get into the concert.
“We had the idea earlier because we usually do coffee houses,” Roache added.
The support behind the idea has been great both from people in the community, staff at the school and fellow students.
“It’s such a devastating thing to happen, that’s one reason we really wanted to help out,” Yakamovich said.
Students have helped out by passing off their spare change after lunch into a bucket that is setup by the school’s cafeteria, Roache said.
She explained there’s been no problem in getting bands to agree to volunteer their time.
“They’ve been like yes we’ll do it, we’re for it,” she said. “It’s very much going to be like our coffee houses, the same setup.”
For his part, Bryant had the free time and figured it was a way to give back to the community he is part of. The singer will be singing tunes from his debut album, Two Coasts for Comfort, for which he was shooting a music video in Calgary, Alta., on Jan. 22.
“It’s such a great cause,” Bryant said. “As soon as I was informed about what they were doing I told them they could count me in as helping them out.”
phealey@enfieldweeklypress.com