Few Attend Rock Event to Aid Cerritos Crash Victims

Organizers of a weekend rock ‘n’ roll fund raiser for ground victims of the Aug. 31 jet crash in Cerritos said Saturday that the first day’s turnout was far less than the 1,000 people they had hoped to attract.

“We were hoping that the people of Cerritos and neighboring communities would really kick in and help out, but they’re not showing up” said a disappointed Clifford Graham, spokesman for the rock group Klockwerk Orange.

On Saturday night, the rock and disco bands who donated their time to benefit the Cerritos victims were playing for audiences of little more than 100.

Because most of the Cerritos families learned only recently that their homeowner’s insurance does not cover air disasters, organizers of the two-day Neighboraid had hoped to attract sizable crowds to help them out.

“The people who are here are having a good time,” Graham said. “There’s just not enough of them.”

The fest was organized by Richard Santana, a neighbor of the victims, to raise money to augment the city-administered Cerritos Air Disaster Fund, which has not attracted enough donations to rebuild the 17 homes damaged or destroyed when an Aeromexico jet airliner collided with a private plane and plunged to the ground, killing 67 people on the two airplanes and 15 on the ground.

Cerritos city officials say they have collected more than $160,000 and distributed it to families, or survivors of families, whose homes were damaged or destroyed.

But Santana said much more help is needed.

“You figure the average home costs $150,000, and there were so many destroyed,” Santana said. “That’s an awful lot of money.”

Today, empty lots are all that remain of ten homes that once stood on Holmes Avenue, Ashworth Place and Reva Circle. Seven homes that were not destroyed are undergoing or awaiting repairs.

“These families are living in rental homes or apartments and they’ve been wiped out,” Santana said.

Santana said the City of Cerritos did not back Neighboraid because of concern over rock events raised after the Los Angeles Street Scene erupted in violence in September.

However, several commercial sponsors agreed to back the event, including Coca-Cola and McDonald’s and several local companies.

Neighboraid will continue today from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. at Los Cerritos Regional Park on Bloomfield Avenue. Tickets are $7.50 at the door.

Santana said people who cannot attend Neighboraid but wish to help can send checks to: Cerritos Air Disaster Fund, P.O. Box 306, Cerritos, Calif., 90701.