Liberty 'Idols' will carry a tune for charity

BRENTWOOD -- They will sing their hearts out for the title, but the real winner will be Shepherd's Gate.

Come Jan. 24, Liberty High School will host its 11th annual Liberty Idol competition at 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center, 850 Second St.

For the past decade, the singing contest has doubled as a fundraiser for the community. Benefactors have included Decker Children's Trust, Joel Hanson Memorial Fund, JumpStart San Francisco, Village Resource Center, Alejandro Fernandez Trust Fund, Action Against Hunger, Ethiopia Reads!, Kayla Shepard Memorial Fund, Hilde Back Education Fund (A Small Act), and Bay Cruisers Wheelchair Basketball Team.

"The show has always been a fundraiser for an outside organization," said Summer Rodriguez, director of student activities. "All of the events that Liberty Leadership puts on (help) charities or scholarships, never the leadership program."

Last year's event netted more than $2,600 for Neto's Fund, which provided soccer scholarships to youths interested in joining the East Diablo Youth Soccer League who could not afford it. This fund was created in honor of Liberty student Jose 'Neto' Corona, who lost his battle with cancer last year.

This year's benefactor is Shepherd's Gate in Brentwood. Founded in 1984, it has offered services and helped find housing for more than 10,000 battered and homeless women and children.

Tickets are $6 before Jan. 23. After that, $8 with a Liberty student ID and $10 at the door. For more information, call 925-634-3521. For more on Shepherd's Gate, visit http://www.shepherdsgate.org.

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Liberty 'Idols' will carry a tune for charity