Heart Beats

By Seth Combs

(Published in the June 2010 issue)

While most of us were glued to our TVs in shock, or texting a $10 donation to the Red Cross, local altruist Noah Bernardo was getting his hands dirty in earthquake-ravaged Haiti. Having owned a construction company for nearly 20 years, he wanted to use his experience to make a difference. He managed to secure a plot of land near Port-au-Prince to build a school, medical facility and food station, but lacked funding to get the project off the ground.With a heavy heart, Bernardo returned to San Diego determined to realize his vision. His son, Noah “Wuv” Bernardo, Jr., and nephew, Sonny Sondoval, both members of multi-platinum rockers P.O.D., provided the initial spark, and the San Diego Loves Haiti Group was born.

On Saturday, June 12, P.O.D., Parker Theory, The Letter Black and dozens of other bands will rock two stages in the giant parking lot at Qualcomm Stadium, playing for free in an all-day benefit to help raise money to build the facility in Haiti. Under regular circumstances, seeing P.O.D. alone might be pricey, but tickets for the San Diego Loves Haiti concert are just $10 bucks in advance and $15 the day of the show.

And as soon as the San Diego show wraps up, the tireless organizer says he’ll be back to work the next day.

“All these bands have been so gracious to offer their talent,” says Bernardo. “We’re gonna go to Vegas next and continue to build these centers throughout Haiti.”