Students rock out for shade aid

Scores of Thomas Edison Elementary School students, parents, teachers and local businesses chipped in to raise about $8,500 for a new canopy on Friday evening during the school’s Rockin’ for Shade program.

More than 30 Edison students, ranging in age from 5 to 11 and broken up into a dozen bands, played a slew of songs inspired by their favorite bands in an effort to raise money for a $25,000 shade canopy for the school’s main playground. Officials said the structure would be vital to the children’s health.

“Skin cancer is growing quickly among teenagers, and when they’re as young as these kids, they need to be protected,” Adrianne O’Neil said.

The playground in question is a large square of exposed playground equipment set atop brown wood chips that can make going down slides or running on hot summer days quite uncomfortable, said Bailey Anderson, 11, a bassist in the band No Clue.

“Unfortunately, I won’t be able to be here when it’s built,” said Bailey, who is graduating in June. “But I think it’s great.”

Bailey, who had just stepped down from the stage after playing Green Day’s “Holiday” and The Beatles’ “Can’t Buy Me Love” that whipped the crowd into a frenzy, appreciated the opportunity to bask in the glow of raucous applause.

“It’s a rush,” he said, echoing many other student-musicians who relished the opportunity to be a rock star for a night.

Most of the musicians learned to strum, drum and sing with the Burbank Music Academy, which provides music lessons to local students and holds annual fundraisers to raise money for arts education programs, said Don DeSimone, a teacher with the school.

While the shade structure was paramount to many who paid the entrance fee and offered up money for raffle tickets and food, some parents came to the event simply to hear their children play rock ’n’ roll.

“We’re just here for the music,” said Kathy Flynn, mother of 11-year-old Brennan, who played in three bands Friday night. “He’s having a great time.”

The event raised about $8,500 for the new shade canopy, including money donated from Lockheed Federal Credit Union and Vista Professional Outdoor Lighting. The sum was about $2,000 short of the school’s goal but could be enough for the new canopy by tapping into other school funds and using money from other fundraisers, O’Neil said.

But the focus Friday was less on the money raised than on the kids who played, some battling nerves, others memory problems.

“I was a little afraid I would forget the lyrics like I had done before,” said Katherine Wiley Cox, 9, who sang Green Day’s “Wake Me Up When September Ends.” “I mean, this was the biggest crowd I’ve every played in front of. It was sort of weird, but I really enjoyed it.”