Pop singer helps to raise $35K for Southern Arizona homeless
Pop sensation Ashlee Simpson helped a local youth group raise $35,000 over the weekend to help battle youth homelessness in Pima County, far more than was originally expected.
The Teen Empowerment and Advocacy Movement of Tucson brought singer Simpson, 21, to Tucson for a benefit concert for youth homelessness.
TEAM Tucson is a nonprofit organization founded and run by local high school students.
Demitri Downing, a recent James E. Rogers College of Law graduate who helped produce the concert, said he was proud of what the students have accomplished.
"The (UA) community should look forward to having students of this quality on their campus," Downing said.
Ari Pozez, the chief project manager for TEAM Tucson and a junior at Sabino High School, said the show was initially his idea.
Paul Cunningham, TEAM Tucson's founder, said he was impressed by the group's work.
"At first when they brought it up, I thought, 'Sure, we'll have some local bands play for 100 people at five bucks apiece and maybe raise $1,000,'" he said. "But it snowballed into what we're doing now. These kids did stuff that average kids can't."
The money raised will go to Our Family Services, which offers programs that help homeless and poverty-stricken teenagers.
"We felt it was our job as fortunate teenagers," said Josh Offenhartz, a senior at Sabino High School and chief executive officer of TEAM Tucson.
Simpson, who greeted 3,100 people at the concert, echoed the student group's sentiments.
"It's good to see teens supporting teens," Simpson said. "It's a whole generation, and we need to be there for each other."
Prior to the concert, a private reception and awards ceremony was held in Tucson Convention Center, 260 S. Church Ave., where Mayor Bob Walkup declared Sunday "Ashlee Simpson Recognition Day" for her services to the city.
"Ashlee got up and spoke," said Offenhartz, who plans to attend the UA next fall along with other TEAM Tucson members. "She took a group picture with us, and we all got a chance to talk with her one-on-one."
Cunningham takes students from his civics class to Washington D.C. every year. His students focus on the idea of homelessness and the fact that homeless people are not all drug addicts and dropouts; they fall on hard luck, Offenhartz said.
When the students come home, they organize a fundraising project, Cunningham said.
"In the past years we walked for cancer and did tutoring, which are worthwhile, but this year we decided to do the benefit concert," Cunningham said.
Offenhartz said he wants to help out the organization as much as he can once he's at the UA, but may be limited in what he can do.