JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers STUDENTS, OTHERS BAND TOGETHER—Westlake High School band instructor Mike Gangemi will benefit from students and others’ fundraising efforts to help him get insurance for a future operation. The local music community is reaching out to help one of its own.

Friends of Mike Gangemi, made up of a group of musicians, school music teachers, band students and parents are working to help Gangemi, a local music educator, with his health.

Gangemi, 33, is morbidly obese and needs gastric bypass surgery. Although he works for several area school districts helping direct their student bands, Gangemi doesn’t have a college degree and therefore doesn’t qualify for benefits. With no health insurance, he cannot pay for the medical care he needs.

“In recent years people have noticed that Mike is not as healthy as he used to be,” said Samantha Blake, a teacher at Mesa Verde Middle School in Moorpark. “We started talking about what we can do to help him.”

Initially, friends wanted to help Gangemi earn his college degree so that he’d be eligible for employee benefits. But Blake said supporters realized that his health had to be addressed first.

Friends of Mike Gangemi formed last year to raise money for health insurance so that Gangemi could have the surgery. A letter appealing for help raised about $525. A T-shirt was created featuring three figures holding hands, including one holding a trumpet that represents Gangemi. T-shirt sales have so far raised more than $1,000.

The proceeds of an upcoming annual basketball game between Westlake High School’s choir and band will be donated to Gangemi’s cause.

So far, enough money has been raised to cover eight months of insurance at a premium of $325 a month.

Gangemi is the assistant music director for three concert bands, two jazz bands and a marching band at Westlake High School and for a jazz band and marching band at Moorpark High School. He’s the jazz band director at Colina Middle School. His goal is to make sure that every student walks out of the classroom having learned something, be it musical skills or life lessons discovered by being part of the team that is the band.

“These kids are the future and we contributing to what that future will look like,” Gangemi said.

In between teaching, Gangemi gives private trumpet lessons and runs the Lane 29 Big Band Orchestra, a community musical group that donates performance income to charity.

“Some people wish they had more than 24 hours a day,” Gangemi said. “I’ve found a way to do it.”

Gangemi is completely dedicated to his students, said Blake. He works long hours at three schools, she said, yet earns only a stipend because of his lack of a college degree.

“He does all of these things but his income is not what he’s worth,” Blake said.

Gangemi was overwhelmed by both the offer of assistance and the number of supporters that came forward. Although Gangemi is not one to easily accept help, Blake said she thinks he realized he was at a point where he needed it.

“This has been a lifelong problem. He’s tried to lose weight and has gone up and down, but there is something in his chemical makeup,” Blake said.

Gangemi is grateful for the support of the community.

“I’m beside myself,” Gangemi said. “I knew I had a lot of friends, but I had no idea there would be this kind of outpouring.”

He’s looking forward to having the surgery in the hopes that he’ll be able to do some things he can’t now, like joining his marching band students in their warmup stretch and run.

“I want to do that with them,” Gangemi said. “It would be awesome.”

The WHS choir vs. basketball game benefit for Gangemi will be held at 7:30 p.m. Mon., Dec. 5 in the school’s gym. Tickets are $3 per person at the door.

To make a donation to Friends of Mike Gangemi, please send checks made out to Friends of Mike Gangemi, 2060 D Avenida de Los Arboles, Ste. 628, Thousand Oaks, CA 91362. T-shirts can be purchased in the band rooms at Westlake and at Moorpark high schools for $20 each.

For more information, please contact Samantha Blake at sblake@mrpk.k12.ca.us.