🎶 Community Spotlight: Charlotte Prep & Mr. Candia 🎶

There is something profoundly intimate about listening to someone’s favorite songs – especially when they are no longer with us. Music has a way of collapsing distance, carrying memory, and inviting us into the emotional world of another person.

As we planned the Sgt. Elio Diaz Memorial Forest planting day, we asked the Diaz family a simple but meaningful question: would they like to play Sgt. Diaz’s favorite music as the soundtrack for the event? They said yes, and together they curated a special tracklist for the morning.

To figure out the best way to set up audio in the planting area, we reached out to Charlotte Prep, a school that incorporates music into many of its own events. What we received was far more than guidance. Their music teacher, Mr. Candia, immediately offered to volunteer his time and coordinate with the school to lend us professional music equipment and a microphone for speakers.

Because of Mr. Candia and the Charlotte Prep community, we were able to share a tender part of Sgt. Diaz’s story through sound. It added beauty, meaning, and moments of joy to a day already full of heart.

Please join us in thanking Charlotte Prep and Mr. Candia for their generosity and kindness.

(PS: Charlotte Prep also lent folding tables to accommodate the food, beverages, and children’s activities!)