Redwood Credit Union Birthday Benefit Bash Raises Over $24,000 for Local Nonprofits

Novato, Calif. –  A shared birthday party benefit hosted by two friends has ended on a high note, gifting a future filled with music to youth in Marin County. The 2nd Annual Birthday Benefit Bash for Brett Martinez, President and CEO of Redwood Credit Union (RCU), and Mark Nelson, lead singer of Walking Mirrors Music, was held Saturday, April 20th at the HopMonk Tavern in Novato and drew a sellout crowd of 300 attendees from Point Arena to Marin. 

All proceeds, including the ticket cost and online donations, totaling $24,076.50, were donated to the Redwood Credit Union Community Fund (RCUCF), benefiting two nonprofits known for their commitment to nurturing youth and fostering community connections through the power of music and the arts: Performing Stars of Marin and Marin Youth Symphony.

“This was a fun way for Mark and I to celebrate another year while positively impacting the lives of local youth in our community,” Martinez says. “Thanks to the generous support of donors, attendees, and these two amazing organizations, we’re able to pave the way for the next generation of musicians and music lovers.”

Performing Stars of Marin provides opportunities for low-income and at-risk children to be involved in art, music, theater and other enrichment opportunities. Since inception, Performing Stars has served over 3,000 youth in Marin.  The Marin Youth Symphony Orchestra scholarship program allows youth age 13-18 from diverse backgrounds to participate in the orchestra to enrich, educate, and transform lives through classical music. The orchestra is composed of approximately 80 auditioned high school and middle school musicians from the San Francisco Bay Area.

Rock band Walking Mirrors was formed in 2019 by singer/songwriter Mark Nelson and lead guitarist/producer Craig Bartock, longtime guitarist for the band Heart. Ticket proceeds from all their performances are donated to local nonprofits.

“Celebrating a birthday with my good friend Brett Martinez while benefitting others is a distinct honor,” Nelson says. “It aligns perfectly with our Walking Mirrors Music mission: connecting to community through live music.”

The RCU Community Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit created by Redwood Credit Union to be there when our communities need us, through good times and bad. 100% of your donation will go directly to our communities, supporting disaster relief and preparedness, housing assistance, financial wellness, and overall community wellness. You will receive acknowledgement of your donation by email or by letter if no email address is on your account.

For more information about RCUCF and future events or information on how to donate, please visit  rcucommunityfund.org.

About Redwood Credit Union Founded in 1950, Redwood Credit Union is a full-service financial institution providing personal and business banking to consumers and businesses in the North Bay and San Francisco. With a mission to passionately serve the best interests of its Members, team members, and communities, RCU delivers many ways for its Members to save and build money through checking and savings accounts, auto and home loans, credit cards, digital banking, business services, commercial and SBA lending, and more. Wealth management and investment services are available through CUSO Financial Services L.P., and insurance and auto-purchasing services are also offered through RCU Services Group (RCU’s wholly owned subsidiary). RCU has more than $8.5 billion in assets and serves more than 465,000 members with full-service branches from San Francisco to Ukiah. For more information, call 1 (800) 479-7928, visit redwoodcu.org, or follow RCU on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn for news and updates.