With support from local bands and businesses, two high school students held a music event in Wolfs Lane Park on Sunday that raised funds for the Rohingya, a people persecuted in Myanmar, many of whom have left the country.

The Rohingya have been “denied citizenship, basic rights and safety,” according to @riff_aware on Instagram. RIFF, the Rohingya Initiative for Food, aims to aid refugees who have fled violence in their home country but are now struggling to live in refugee camps with limited food and shelter.

Pelham parent Zehra Parvez and her son, Arman Brummett, were inspired to take action after they visited the refugees in Balapurt, India. Brummett is a student at Pelham Memorial High School and guitarist the band 7th Avenue.

“We were thinking of how we could combine our love of music with a humanitarian cause,” said Parvez. “I’ve been going to South India since 2018. I had raised some money for the refugee camps among my colleagues. I saw that small amounts of money can make a huge difference.”

As of Sunday, the event had raised a total of $2,015 for the refugees.

“We went to a camp in 2019, and this impacted me a lot as a kid,” said Brummett. Sunday’s event was organized by Brummett and fellow student and 7th Avenue bassist Sandra Chalissery. “Growing up, I didn’t see a lot of poverty or people in need. Last year, I thought it would be cool to do something involving the refugee camps and music.”

“Arman reached out to me for help,” said Chalissery. “Every Wednesday, we’d go to J Cafe and plan our next steps, after school until they closed.”

Businesses that supported the event included Rockwells, J Cafe, Wolfs Lane Deli, Pearl Dynastea and Cantina Lobos.

“So many people helped us out. It takes a village to make this happen,” said Chalissery.

Parvez said that she was “proud of Arman, Sandra and 7th Avenue. It was great to see the community come together and see people read the display board. It’s a fantastic way at educating people.”