The Pico Youth and Family Center will hold a fundraiser on Friday, Feb. 1 to raise the money needed to repair the damage caused by a car that crashed into the center earlier this month.
Two men in a rented Bentley were driving above the speed limit down Pico Boulevard at about 10:20 p.m. on Jan. 12 when they lost control of the vehicle and spun around several times before careening into the building. No one was hurt, but the crash destroyed the building’s windows, several computers and office equipment and furniture. PYFC Director Oscar de la Torre said total damages are estimated at $20,000 to $30,000.
PYFC is a community center across the street from Santa Monica High School that provides after-school and creative space for local high school students. The center provides a multitude of programs, including employment opportunities, cooking classes, internship connections and a professional recording studio.
The center has temporarily shut down because of the damage caused by the crash, de la Torre said. PYFC is hosting a fundraiser to cover the cost of repairs at the Robert Berman Gallery from 7 to 11 p.m on Feb. 1. Artists and musicians will be performing in the gallery, which is located within Bergamot Station.
The center is also raising money through a GoFundMe campaign called “Help PYFC Rebuild.” As of Jan. 23, the campaign had raised $370 from six donors toward its $20,000 goal.
The center is trying to get the insurance company responsible for the car to pay for damages but needs to replace its equipment as soon as possible, he added.
“If we wait for the insurance company, we’ll be without doors for months,” de la Torre said. “Our plan is to pay upfront and hope the insurance company reimburses those expenses.”
If the center is reimbursed for damages, it will allocate any money it received from the fundraiser to programming, he said. PYFC will have to raise $200,000 this year to fund operations.
Visit http://picoyouth.org for more information.
madeleine@smdp.com
