Project Donate, a San Diego non-profit whose main focus is to build community and artistry through charity, contacted local music producer Beatsmith Resist to throw a show with some of San Diego's finest underground artists. They included two who have ties to Tijuana: Odessa Kane, 2011 San Diego Music Awards “Best Hip-Hop Artist” nominee, and DJ Third Rail, host of Third Degree Burns Mixshow.
The non-profit group promises to raise $6,000 by April for the orphanage, Alcance Visión A.C., so that it can build an additional room. The home for children was originally designed to house 30 kids. Today, it's grown to 40 occupants and that number continues to rise. The room addition is much needed because it will help accommodate the growing population.
Odessa Kane, born in Tijuana and raised in San Diego, says, “As a father myself, my children and family are everything to me. Thinking about kids without parents is heartbreaking.” He continues, “I believe Alcance Visión is doing something positive in this light and if I could lend my voice to their cause, it's an honor really.”
DJ Third Rail shares the same sentiment. He explains, “I have family and friends that live in Tijuana and I know the lack of opportunity they have, compared to us in the U.S.” He also says, “Donating money or efforts for social change is something that should be done more often and we need more people coming out to events like this.”
The grass-roots fundraiser event held at Headquarters Cafe also featured Black Mikey, Aki Kharmicel, and Awkward Congregation. It was a small but big-hearted undertaking with more to come in the future. Resist says, “Everybody involved with Project Donate is a volunteer including myself.”
“We haven't reached our goal of $6,000 yet. But, we didn't expect to reach it in one night. We are chipping away little by little with each and every event we organize.”
Project Donate's next event is Feb. 16 with Salvador Santana (son of Carlos Santana, also from Tijuana).
Odessa Kane is the brother of blogger Dita Quinones -- Ed.
Dita Quiñones is a multimedia journalist with a passion for Latin alternative and hip-hop music news. In addition to SoundDiego, she contributes to Latina, FOX News Latino, Poder and HipHopDx. She is also the founder of the infamous music and politrix blog GN$F! Follow Dita on Twitter.
