The altruism of an accomplished young musician from Irvine High School is the subject of this story on the Orange County Register’s website. Upon visiting a music school in Costa Rica in 2013, junior Justin Koga was inspired by the passion of the local students -- and concerned that there were too few instruments in good repair. So he took matters into his own hands, organizing a pair of concert fundraisers in Orange County and New York. The money he helped raise paid for eight violins, three violas, three cellos and much-needed supplies, according to the Register. “Sometimes you really need to go far to look at what you really have back at home,” Justin, 15, told the newspaper. “Music has played such a huge role in my life. It’s given me a lot; allowed me to travel, meet new people. And these kids, they wanted to play music and they couldn’t just because they didn’t have the instruments to play it.” O.C. Register contributing writer Kiran Kazalbash has the story here.
