Redwood Credit Union Birthday Bash Raises Over $31,000 for Youth Arts Programs
June 23, 2025

Redwood Credit Union
For all that you love.
A shared birthday celebration raised over $31,000 to support music programs for youth in the North Bay.

Santa Rosa, Calif., June 23, 2025 — A shared
birthday celebration raised over $31,000 to support music programs for youth in
the North Bay. The third annual Birthday Benefit Bash, hosted by Brett
Martinez, President and CEO of Redwood Credit Union (RCU), and Mark Nelson,
lead singer of Walking Mirrors Music, brought together 250 guests at HopMonk Tavern in
Sebastopol on Saturday, April 19.
The sold-out event raised a total of $31,502, with all
proceeds benefiting the Redwood
Credit Union Community Fund (RCUCF). The funds will support three local
nonprofits:
“We’re going
to use the proceeds from RCU’s Birthday Bash Fundraiser to support our Summer
Music Program,” said Andrea Lloyd, director of development for ELM. “It’s a chamber
music program where students come together to play without a conductor. They
need to listen to each other, take turns leading, and work together. It’s a
great way for them to learn about collaboration, leadership, and other
essential skills.”
“We want to
support our teens by having the right equipment, the right instruments, and
professional recording tools they can use in the real world,” said Melissa
Stewart, executive director of the Chop’s Teen Club. “It’s an expensive
program, so to have an infusion of money to ensure it stays here and has
longevity is really important to us.”
“Our
Mariachi Ensemble keeps growing, and so does the need for instructors, and
uniforms,” said Ashleigh Worley, director of education and community engagement
for the Luther Burbank Center. “We plan to use the funds to make sure we have
the staff to support this program and the crisp, beautiful traje de charro
uniforms the students get to wear when they perform.”
“This was a fun and meaningful way for
Mark and me to celebrate our birthdays while giving back to the community,”
said Martinez. “Thanks to the generosity of our supporters and the incredible
work of these three organizations, we’re helping to inspire the next generation
of musicians and artists.”
Walking Mirrors is a rock band formed in 2019 by Nelson and
guitarist/producer Craig Bartock (of the band Heart), that donates proceeds
from all performances to local nonprofits.
“Celebrating with my good friend Brett while
supporting causes we care about is a true honor,” said Nelson. “It’s exactly
what Walking Mirrors Music is all about—connecting with the community through
live music.”
The RCU Community Fund, a
501(c)(3) nonprofit, channels 100% of donations directly into the community,
supporting financial education, disaster relief, housing, and community
wellness initiatives. Visit RCUCommunityFund.org to learn
more.
About Redwood Credit Union
Founded
in 1950, Redwood Credit Union is a full-service, not-for-profit 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 Redwood Wealth Management, and insurance and auto-purchasing services
are also offered through RCU Services Group (RCU’s wholly owned subsidiary).
RCU has more than $9.3 billion in assets and serves more than 497,000 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.