JOURNEY’s DEEN CASTRONOVO To Donate $10,000 To Replace Instruments Lost In Oregon High School Fire

DeenCastronovo

According to KPTV.com, JOURNEY drummer Deen Castronovo and his wife are offering $10,000 to replace equipment that was lost after  a 4-alarm fire ripped through South Albany High School, destroying the cafeteria as well as choir, cheer and band equipment.

The destroyed building stored the school’s sound equipment, band and choir instruments and more than 40 years worth of collected sheet music. The damage is estimated at well above $1 million.

JOURNEY drummer Deen Castronovo grew up in Salem, and was a high school band member himself.

“I called my wife and asked her if we could do this and if she’d be on board with me,” he said. “And instantly we [agreed] — yeah, it’s the right thing to do.”

“It was the least we could do, to do what we can to build that program back up for the kids,” he added.

Other community members have stepped up to offer donating used instruments to the band members.

“Band is a big part of any school and this is no different,” superintendent and school board chair Jerry Boehme told KOIN.com. “It’s pretty hard to have classes without instruments.”