On Sunday, February 25th, a group of twenty teenagers woke up at 7:00 AM to make a difference. The concert lasted three hours, had over 100 guests, and raised over $3000. To make this possible, this group of teenagers organized rehearsals, advertised the event, set up and decorated the venue, and ultimately created a powerful and vibrant show that inspired many people to give generously to Simpson Housing Services.

Anna Newell, ‘18, was the leader of this group of students. She was upset about the housing crisis in Minneapolis and wanted to do something about it, so she decided to host a benefit concert at her church, Excelsior United Methodist, to raise money for Simpson Housing Services, an organization in Minneapolis that helps the homeless population of the Twin Cities find sustainable housing and where Newell has been volunteering for four years.

When asked why she was motivated to organize and run this benefit concert, Newell said, “I got the idea to host a benefit concert from a friend of mine. I wanted to bring the community together to rally support for an important cause.”  

Indeed, she needed this motivation during the long, arduous process of getting the benefit concert off the ground. The concert took months to organize; issues with performers, venue and equipment kept popping up, but Newell persisted, and she was able to put on a show highlighting some amazing talent.

The concert was structured in a way similar to MHS’ Coffeehouse: people milled in and out eating refreshments, and many of the performances were Coffeehouse mainstays. Kylie Landa and Anna Jones’ band The Strums played “Fireworks” by First Aid Kit and “Hands Down” by the Greeting Committee; Smalltown Smalltown played Hippocampus covers and Frankie Torres performed an original song, as well as a cover of “Speechless” by Lady Gaga. In addition to these performers, many Minnetonka Theatre, Orchestra, and Choir members like Dante Colmenares, ’19; McKealy Baker, ’19; Melanie Rodriguez, ’18; and Raelin Karstens, ’18; participated in the concert.

“Anna is my best friend, and a really good human. My favorite part of the concert was videotaping people and their performances, and videotaping people about their intentions. Watching people sing well was also really fun,” said Ava Molzen, ‘18.

These groups were all met with thunderous applause from the audience, which consisted of a hodgepodge of church members, MHS students, and broader community members. The concert was a massive success. Newell sought to raise an ambitious $2,000 at the benefit concert, and she far exceeded her goal. Overall, Newell was pleased with the results.

“It felt amazing watching the church and the larger community come together for a cause that means so much to me,” she said.