Hillsborough Teen's Passion For Music Spurs Fundraiser For Kids Fighting Cancer

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — Music is Isabella DiStasio's passion and now she is on a mission to share it with as many kids with cancer as possible.

A Hillsborough High School freshman and a talented musician, DiStasio started her first ever fundraiser for Ollie's Orchestra, a nonprofit that provides instruments and music to infants and children with a cancer diagnosis "with the goal of channeling the joy, stress relief, distraction and peace that music can elicit."

She was spurred to fundraise for this organization after family friends lost their 9-month-old daughter, Francesca, in December 2020 to a rare and aggressive pediatric brain cancer.

"Ever since Francesca passed, Isabella has been motivated to do something, and she struggled for a bit to figure out something to do that felt authentic to her," said DiStasio's mom Kristina.

Combining the two, Ollie's Orchestra was a perfect fundraiser to start.

DiStasio, who performs in the high school orchestra, sets up a table to collect donations before each performance including Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the high school.

She also set up a GoFundMe page to collect donations. All of the donations raised go towards creating a backpack filled with instruments to be sent to children in need.

Each backpack costs $180 and will help children with cancer with music therapy.

"This was important to me for someone who plays a few instruments," said DiStasio. "It is important to give back to people who need it a little bit more."

Along with performing in the high school orchestra, DiStasio studies voice and plays several instruments including bass, electric bass, piano, ukulele, and guitar.

Her fundraising efforts were launched about two weeks ago and she raised $450 at the most recent high school orchestra performance. She also has more than $1,500 raised on her GoFundMe page.

"We are very proud of Isabella. From the moment she heard about Ollie’s Orchestra and saw how strongly it was connected to her values and her passion for music, she dove headfirst into it and has not let any obstacle get in her way," said Kristina.

"It’s been a great lesson in project management, leadership, and how one 15-year-old freshman can make a difference. She’s already looking to find additional ways to use music and music-related endeavors to create change and progress on an even bigger scale," said Kristina.

Both DiStasio and Kristina were very grateful to Hillsborough High School Music Supervisor Chris Ireland for supporting her fundraising efforts.

"Mr. Island has been very helpful in the process, organizing all of it," said DiStasio. "Without him, I don't think I would have gotten it all up and running."

To see when the next upcoming orchestra performance is click here.

To donate to DiStasio's efforts on her GoFundMe page click here.

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