Ever since she was tragically murdered in August of 2017, friends, family, and loved ones of former Temple student Jenna Burleigh have been searching for ways to honor her memory.
Now, one local non-profit starter is trying to honor Burleigh and bring the community together by using music.
Mason Payonk, the founder of Benifest, a non-profit concert series, decided to dedicate the non-profit’s third concert, Benifest 3, to Burleigh after hearing about her through her childhood friends.
“I actually never knew Jenna personally,” Payonk explained. “Her childhood friend would always tell me that Jenna was upbeat, positive, and selfless, so to hear that something so unfortunate happened to someone who was all about giving back really motivated me to dedicate our third event to her cause.”
That cause is Jenna’s Blessing Bags. Throughout her life, Burleigh was a strong advocate of the homeless, often urging people through social media to pay more attention to those in need around her. After her death, Burleigh’s family started the foundation to honor her memory and her spirit of giving. Now, Payonk says he hopes the concert will not only raise money for Jenna’s Blessing Bags, but will also shine light on who Burleigh was.
“I wanted to be a part in helping Jenna be remembered for being the good person everyone said she was,” Payonk said. “So it only made sense to help spread her message.”
The concert will feature Alexander Charles, Kenif Muse, Scottie Kash, Wes Phoenix, and more up-and-coming artists that Payonk says he believes will bring people together.
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
“I chose artists based off what I thought would bring the best atmosphere to really show Jenna’s personality,” Payonk said.
Benifest 3 will be held on Thursday, April 5th. Tickets and more information can be found at Benifest.org.
