By Kevin O’Scanlon

On Thursday December 4, I had the pleasure of attending a Highschool Jazz Concert called “Jazz with Friends” hosted by Campolindo High School in Moraga. This concert was special for a number of reasons. The performances of the evening hailed from three different High Schools in the area; Dougherty Valley High School in San Ramon, Dublin High School in Dublin, and of course Campolindo. The three schools shared the stage and beautifully performed arrangements spanning from Thelonius Monk to Brian Setzer Orchestra to The Commodores (Brick House).

In between numbers, the band directors shared anecdotes of their friendships, and the story unfolded of how the “Jazz with Friends” project came to be. We also learned about a very important organization which this concert was supporting…you guessed it…JDRF!

We heard first hand from members of the band how T1D affected their lives, and what it would mean to find a cure. With the support of the audience, “Jazz with Friends” raised over $1,200 for T1D research.

It was my honor to collect the donation on Behalf of JDRF, and speak to the concert-goers about the hard work JDRF is doing to cure T1D. All the while being treated to an evening of beautiful tempo, harmony, friendship and storytelling!

Kevin O’Scanlon is a Walk Manager at JDRF Bay Area.