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SALEM — When Marissa Condon heard that 19-year-old Julia Gauthier had died in a car accident in late March, the feelings flooded back from a similar tragedy that befell one of her classmates at Salem High School in 2007.
Right away, she wanted to do something to help Gauthier's friends and family.
"I knew after all we went through that we didn't really have any way of coping," said Condon, whose friend and classmate Zack Leventis, a Salem High senior, was killed in a car crash three years ago this week. "I know it's really hard for her family and friends to deal with this."
With that in mind, Condon contacted the Seaport Credit Union in Salem, which had established a scholarship fund in Julia's name, and she wrote a letter to Julia's parents, Marie and Marc Gauthier of Salem.
That gesture has blossomed into a benefit concert tomorrow night at Salem State College, where Julia was a freshman, to celebrate her life and to raise money for the Julia Gauthier Scholarship.
Condon has worked with Julia's mother and other volunteers to organize the benefit, which will feature live bands, raffles, food and more. Organizers have already sold more than 400 tickets.
The concert will be held in the South Campus gymnasium at Salem State, which donated the space. Local businesses and individuals have donated food and money to the event and nearly 40 prizes for the raffle, including Red Sox tickets and restaurant gift cards.
"We've gotten an overwhelming response," said Condon, 20, a junior at Salem State.
Condon said Julia's parents will attend the benefit, as well as her brother, Marc, and her sister, Sherie.
"It's going to be a celebration of life on Friday night," said Glenn Paster, director of marketing at Seaport Credit Union, which established the Julia Gauthier Scholarship almost immediately after her death. "It's going to be an incredible evening."
Condon recruited three local bands who will perform tomorrow: Bandwagon, Nuts n' Fudge and Down in Derby with Sarah Seminski. One of Down in Derby's members, Eric Reardon, is one of Julia's childhood friends.
There are close to 40 raffle items, and 10 of Julia's close friends will sell them throughout the event, Condon said.
"We want people to come down, buy raffle tickets, have a great time and learn a little bit more about Julia's life and just support the scholarship fund," said Paster, who lives in Swampscott.
Julia Gauthier, who was a standout student and athlete at Salem High, was killed in a car accident on March 21, when she was riding in an SUV that crashed and flipped. The driver, Christopher Maxson, is facing charges of vehicular homicide while driving drunk and recklessly, drunken driving, driving to endanger, and failing to stop.
Tomorrow's concert will be an alcohol-free event.
"This is something hopefully we can do to help people make smart decisions while drinking," Condon said, "but also to celebrate Julia's life and honor her life in a good way."
Jamming for Julia
What: Benefit concert in honor of Julia Gauthier
When: Tomorrow, 6 to 11 p.m.
Where: Salem State College South Campus gymnasium
Cost: $5 (free under age 10)
Benefits: The Julia Gauthier Scholarship, established by the Seaport Credit Union
More information or tickets: E-mail Marissa Condon at m_condon1@polaris.salemstate.edu
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