Mark Nelson, left, and Brett Martinez at the 2025 Birthday Benefit Bash for music programs. [Image courtesy RCU]
Birthday cheer was the order of the day at the third annual Birthday Benefit Bash, as the Redwood Credit Union’s recent fundraising event for its community fund raised more than $31,000 for North Bay youth music programs. RCU announced the totals from the April 19 event this week.
About 250 people attended the spring event at HopMonk Tavern in Sebastopol hosted by Brett Martinez, president and CEO of Redwood Credit Union, and Mark Nelson, lead singer of Bay Area band Walking Mirrors.
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.
The Redwood Credit Union Community Fund will use the funds in support of three local nonprofits: Enriching Lives Through Music; Chop’s Teen Club Music Program; and Luther Burbank Center’s Mariachi Ensemble.
Enriching Lives is a music program where students come together to play without a conductor. Andrea Lloyd, director of development for ELM, said the nonprofit plans to put funds toward its summer program. “(Participants) need to listen to each other, take turns leading and work together,” she said of the program. “It’s a great way for them to learn about collaboration, leadership and other essential skills.”
Melissa Stewart, director of Chop’s, said they’ll use their share to acquire “the right equipment, the right instruments and professional recording tools (students) can use in the real world.”
Ashleigh Worley, director of education and community engagement for the Luther Burbank Center, said the Mariachi Ensemble will use the funds for instructors and “the crisp, beautiful traje de charro uniforms the students get to wear when they perform.”
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.
To learn more about the RCU Community Fund, visit RCUCommunityFund.org.
