Marie Ortega-Nanos organized Rock Cafe, a rock concert to promote alcohol-free and drug-free activity for West Windsor-Plainsboro high school students, on Saturday, October 20, at the West Windsor Firehouse on South Mill Road in West Windsor. “I noticed that there really were not many community activities geared towards the high school age group, as most of the activities in town target the younger and the older age groups,” she says. “I wanted to do something that would get the community and the older youth together to do something fun while simultaneously supporting healthy principles and values.”##M:[more]##
Born in the Philippines, Ortega-Nanos moved to the United States in 1976. She has a master’s degree in biology and works in cancer research for a pharmaceutical company. She and her husband, Steven Nanos, an engineer in Bloomfield, moved from New York City to the area in 1989, and have lived in West Windsor since 1991. They have two sons, Scott, High School North, Class of 2005; and Sean, a sophomore at High School North.
Scott was the one who suggested the idea of an alcohol-free and drug-free concert. To get the project going, Ortega-Nanos enlisted the leadership of Danielle Docheff and Ross Berman, High School North, Class of 2007, to promote and market the event. Docheff designed the flyer and they both distributed copies around the community.
“I personally had never before developed any kind of community project, or be involved in one, but I have long wanted to do something involving the young adults in the community that is fun and at the same time supports healthy principles and values,” she says.
During the event volunteer firemen provided support and assisted with security. Tom Seeland, a sound engineer, set up the stage and lighting. “The community pitched in to get the necessary funds to make the event happen,” she says.
“Many parent volunteers also helped out throughout the evening,” she says. “Though the actual turnout for our first event was light, what really amazed me was how much interest and support we received from everyone involved to put this event on again in the spring and make it an ongoing activity.”
