Student creates a summer job for charity

Published 12:34 pm Thursday, October 2, 2008

SNOQUALMIE – Like many students who came home for the summer from school, Jesse Perrell was dogged when it came to finding work.

“I was competing for the same jobs as people with kids,” he said. “I can’t do that.”

So he decided to organize a benefit concert instead. The decision to switch from making money to organizing a fund-raiser may seem like an illogical jump to some, but it made sense to Perrell.

“I like to take different elements of things and put them together,” he said.

On Aug. 23 Perrell will host a show at Snoqualmie Point Park to raise money for BioGems, an environmental organization that specializes in saving endangered habitats. Local artists Kristy O’Kelly, the Chester Alley Band and Mike and Bob Antone will be performing.

Perrell, a 2001 graduate of Mount Si High School, had been thinking of organizing a concert while finishing up his second year at Boston University earlier this year. He had tried to organize one back East and had invited artists Ani DiFranco and Richie Havens. While there was some interest, nothing panned out and Perrell came home for the summer.

Once he realized there was no paying work to be had, Perrell enlisted the help of some friends and community members to put together a benefit concert. He wanted it to support an environmental organization after seeing how much the Valley has changed since he’s lived in North Bend.

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