El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells plays several instruments. The piano, saxophone, guitar, standup bass, starting music in while in junior high school. Wells is also an accomplished vocalist. He has gathered his musician friends to join him again this year for a benefit concert for the East County Transitional Living Center in El Cajon. Wells is holding his second annual Mayor Wells & Friends in Concert benefit at The Magnolia on Aug. 6 at 7:45 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m.
The concert is a family-oriented event and open for all ages. There is a silent auction, a painting demonstration, and VIP & Sponsorship packages include a Meet and Greet with Mayor Wells and VIP seating.
The ECTLC provides housing, education, work therapy, life skills and professional services to more than 450 men, women and children of East County daily, and plans to expand its Emergency Shelter Program to assist homeless families with children.
Center Director of Development Helen Zamora said the organization just celebrated its 10 year anniversary, its two new dorm buildings to house single men and women and restored all its other rooms to accommodate families.
“Now, we are able to put around 40 new families here, which is about 120 children that we have added to our group, so we are really excited about that,” she said.
Zamora said the center is extremely excited about this year’s concert, because last year’s concert “was wonderful,” but during the COVID pandemic and were not able to accommodate as large of a crowd as they wished for.
“Everybody that came had a wonderful time,” she said. “But we have a nice silent auction, three levels of tickets, general admission, VIP Golden Circle, and Golden Circle. So, we have three different options. There are 1,200 seats in the venue. I do not know if there is a bad seat anywhere in that house.”
Zamora said Wells is bringing around his musical professionals, with around seven vocalists, his seven-piece band.
“It is a really fun time,” she said. “We have a good concert. They play a variety of music, and it is amazing. Many of them play many different instruments, so they go from different instruments on stage, which is fun to watch. It is a fun, good evening.”
