'WHAT LOVE IS': Beaumont Choir Backs Foreigner in Cabazon

Members of the Beaumont High School Choir appeared Friday night with pop-rock icons Foreigner in the ballroom at Morongo Casino Resort & Spa.

Choir members and band boosters sold CDs and raffle tickets to raise money for charity. Foreigner's stage manager said the group in turn would donate $1,000 to Beaumont High music programs.

The Beaumont High Choir took the stage near the end of the show to back up Foreigner on the 1984 ballad "I Want to Know What Love Is."

Even though Foreigner's biggest hits were released more than a decade before the choir members were born, they were excited about the opportunity.

"My parents love the band and they think it's so cool I'll get to sing with them," Beaumont senior Adrian Oliva, 18, said just before the sold-out show started in the casino's second-floor ballroom. "I've definitely heard of them and their songs."

Beaumont freshman Joseline Marquez, 16, said she was grateful for the chance to perform with Foreigner.

"Since I was so excited, a lot of my friends got excited for me, and my dad too," Joseline said. "I know a lot about the band, and it's amazing what they've done in music, and what they're doing now for charities."