Austin High Monster Concert Fire Accident

Hi All, Ashley and I are former presidents of the Orchestra Parents Boosters and we have been asked by the families and AHS community to ask for help for the Solis-Herrera and Guajardo families. 

Saturday evening during the Austin High Orchestra’s Monster Concert and Carnival, an accidental flash fire resulted in injuries to three people who were working the carnival. The husband of Orchestra director Ana Maria Solis-Herrera, was badly burned and remains in critical condition. Ana Maria’s son, a 2022 AHS graduate and former orchestra student, as well as Paco Guajardo, the father of two Orchestra students, were also injured and required medical care. While we can’t know the final cost of what we assume will be a long medical journey, we would like to try to offset as much of the cost as possible with help from our community during this very difficult time.

As two former Orchestra Parent Board presidents, we can personally attest to the generosity of time, heart, and physical labor the Solis-Herrera family has poured into the Austin High Orchestra program, the wider Orchestra community of Austin, and every student and family who has come through Ms. Solis’s program over the last 20 plus years. Ms. Solis-Herrera cares deeply about her students, and those who are fortunate enough to be in her program throughout their high school years find a very special community in Orchestra, while developing beautiful musical skills and learning to lead and serve. And we can confidently say that there is no better example of leadership and service than Ms. Solis-Herrera and her entire family. You cannot attend an important Orchestra event without seeing their immediate family, and, often, extended family, volunteering along with current student families.

Paco Guajardo is the parent of two Orchestra students and Austin High sophomores. He can also always be found enthusiastically volunteering his time to benefit this program and school. He and his family have been a huge gift to the Orchestra, and the program could not flourish like it does without dedicated families like the Guajardo family.

The students, parents, faculty/staff, and community of Austin High School and our Orchestra program are heartbroken beyond words over this recent tragedy. We are asking you to help us give back to these families who have given so much to us. No contribution is too small, and the funds collected through this campaign will go directly to the Solis-Herrera and Guajardo families for medical and cost of living support as they recover and heal from this accident. 

Please keep these families in your hearts and prayers. Finally, we encourage you to share the link to this GoFundMe page.

Thank you,

Thomas Aguliar and Ashley Beard