Far out, man. The Benicia Teen Center will be traveling back to the swingin’ ‘70s for a special fundraiser this Saturday.

The Benicia Teen Center was established in 2016 by the Kyle Hyland Foundation for Teen Support, named for a Benicia teen who died by suicide in 2014. One of the goals of the foundation is to provide resources for teens to feel connected, and one of the primary resources has been the Teen Center, which has provided a space for Benicia adolescents to hang out after school, do homework, play foosball or table tennis, create art, play video games or receive help from peers or counselors. The center initially opened in a building behind Gateway Church in 2016 and moved into an even bigger building near Lighthouse Covenant Church at the start of 2018.

The Kyle Hyland Foundation board members are happy with the new space, but secretary Lynn Hoyle said the foundation still needs to raise money to cover the $2,500 a month rent and additional expenses.

“We need to continue to raise funds to keep the Teen center open,” she said.

The foundation has hosted several fundraisers, including bake sales and the annual golf tournament. This Saturday, the center will be hosting a fundraiser on its premises that will allow adults to have fun. Hoyle said the board wanted to do a theme, and they settled on the ‘70s because it was a favorite musical era of the Hylands’.

“For the Hyland family, music is very important as it was for Kyle,” she said. “We thought we would pick an era and then have a band that could do some songs from that time period.”

Barbara Gervase, the foundation’s president and Hyland’s mother, will be performing in a band consisting of Ric Small, Michael Colon, Blanche Hilman, Sam Stevens, Tim Osterhout and David Azevedo as they play live at the fundraiser. The setlist will consist largely of songs by rock artists and singer/songwriter musicians like the Eagles, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Carly Simon, Elton John and more. There will also be a space for dancing, in case anybody wants to get their boogie on.

The event will also feature drinks and appetizers provided by volunteers, a dessert auction, and a silent auction and sale featuring items by teen artists. Although ‘70s attire is not required, it is highly encouraged, so feel free to dust off those bell bottoms or platform shoes.

For those unable to make it to the event, Hoyle strongly encourages people to give a one-time or recurring donation through the foundation’s website at kyleyland.com.

“That’s been so helpful,” Hoyle said. “People have been signing up and giving anywhere between $5 and $100 a month. That will help us keep the Teen Center open and running.”

The Super ‘70s Celebration will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, April 21 at the Benicia Teen Center, located at 1135 Church St. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at the door or online at kylehyland.com. This is an adult-only event. For more information, go to kylehyland.com.

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