Deen Castronovo, the drummer for Journey, went to South Salem High School, which is not far from South Albany High School, where a fire destroyed the school's cafeteria building early Wednesday.
It also destroyed many of the school's band instruments.
Castronovo, on tour in Texas and on his way Friday to play a Final Four event in Indianapolis, said an Oregon friend texted him the news of the fire Wednesday.
"I told him to find out where to send a check,'' Castronovo said Thursday. "I wanted to keep it on the down-low, but the press got ahold of it and I've been doing non-stop interviews."
The check for $10,000, he said, was a way of paying back for the music education he received at South Salem High School.
"It really shaped me as a drummer,'' he said. "Band was always extremely important because I was so bad in other classes."
Castronovo said while the fire was heartbreaking, he's also concerned with budget cuts that often go after music programs.
He had to do something when he heard about the fire.
"It's the right thing to do,'' he said.
-- Stuart Tomlinson
stomlinson@oregonian.com
503-221-8313
@ORweather