You never think it's going to happen to you or anyone you know. You find it plastered on billboards, lurking in high school health education classes and glaring at you from the news media. The truth is, it can happen. It should be drilled into the heads of teenagers: drunk driving is downright dangerous.
The "it won't happen to me" mentality was officially broken for students this year at Northampton High School, where classmate Clara Gardner, a senior at NHS, fell victim to a drunk-driving accident.
Gardner, 17, was struck by alleged drunk driver Roberto Carrasquillo, 20, a bit after midnight on Aug. 2. Gardner was hit outside Springfield's Amtrak station loading luggage behind a van after a month-long trip to Mexico.
Gardner's month-long recovery at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield was a painful one, ripe with frustration and coping with the dismal notion that life would never be the same without her legs.
"She loved to dance … she ran track and cross country," said longtime friend Althea Wilson-Berkowitz in an article by CBS 3's Justine Judge. However, according to another article by The Republican's Fred Contrada, "her spirit remained unbroken."
In a surging act of charity, the Northampton community and high school rallied to raise money for Gardner and her family to pay the bills and for other necessities, such as ramps at home for her wheelchair. The ramps were constructed with the help of numerous volunteers.
"Everyone's been really nice and helpful," said Becca Warren, who has been close to Gardner since age three. Warren took it upon herself to help her friend's cause, sparking the idea of a benefit concert in the Northampton High School auditorium to support Clara and her family.
"We got the idea a while ago," Warren said, "but it officially came together a lot more recently."
After help from NHS' vice principal with securing the event space in the auditorium, verification from the musical guest was the only missing piece.
Within the past two weeks, Jens Lekman, whom Warren's father struck up an e-mail conversation with, confirmed the show on quite short notice. "Unite in Northampton" has agreed to sell tickets prior to the concert, starting Thursday.
"Clara and I have always really liked him," Warren said when asked about the choice of guest, and the two couldn't have picked a finer candidate.
Lekman is a suave singer/songwriter from Gothenburg, Sweden. His deep, soothing croon accentuates his dreamy, boyish persona superbly, bringing a hopeful feel to his cheerful songs while dropping to a solemn shade for his sorrowful ones.
His lyrics blatantly describe the mundane (figs, kisses, German fathers, beer, transportation, friends, etc.) and no one can do it in a more elegant and alluring fashion.
Lekman's most recent record, 2007's "Nightfall On Kortedala," saw the songwriter upping the ante on his production, opting for sweeping horn, string and percussion arrangements over simple guitar or piano ballads found on previous releases. This did not reduce his charm by a single notch. It, instead, complimented his confident vocals and clever songs.
Lekman comes to Northampton as a favor, truly moved by Gardner's story.
"I don't usually do benefit shows," Lekman said in a post on his Web site/blog, "but I was very touched by Clara's friends who came together and arranged all this for her."
"We started off just thinking he would come and visit and talk to Clara," Warren said, but Lekman chose to dedicate an entire show to Gardner and her family.
"What started as an idea to do a private show to cheer her up, has now turned into a real show in a 700-capacity auditorium" Lekman's post said.
The money raised by the show will first cover Lekman's train ticket to his next show in Washington, D.C., and the rest will go directly to Clara. Northampton's Clarion Hotel has generously agreed to put Lekman up for the night, free of charge.
Another fundraiser in the form of a spaghetti dinner will take place Sunday, Nov. 23 from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Elk's Lodge #997, 17 Spring Street in Florence.
This gesture accurately depicts Lekman's character, one affected by tragic circumstances and the everyman. Lekman portrays himself as a sensitive lad amused by the simple things in life, and it makes sense that he'd answer the call of a victim of such a tragic crime.
Lekman can't reverse the damage that's been done, but he can comfort Gardner and aide in the community's efforts to help her family as they make their way through this hard time
Like Lekman sings in "Another Sweet Summer's Night on Hammer Hill" from the "Oh You're So Silent, Jens" compilation: "It's hard to stay mad when there's so much beauty." Lekman will surely bring the beauty Saturday night.
The Benefit Concert for Clara Gardner, featuring Jens Lekman, will begin at 7:00 p.m., Saturday at Northampton High School's auditorium. Tickets are available for $8 at the door as well as at Unite, located at 202 Main Street in Northampton. You can reach Unite at (413) 545-5774. Northampton High School is located on 380 Elm Street in Northampton. Tickets for the spaghetti dinner are $10, available through Barbara Franklin, (413) 586-7121.
Ian Nelson can be reached at inelson@student.umass.edu
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