Mil Gracias - Nov. 16, 2012

Aaron Ortega was a lifelong resident of Las Vegas, a son of Juan and Annabella Ortega, and a victim of a rare enzyme disorder called methylmelonic acidemia. Aaron was a person who loved music and always had the desire to start a heavy metal band called Life & Death. His favorite holiday was  Halloween. For those reasons the Aaron Ortega Life & Death Fest has been held on the weekend nearest Halloween.

Throughout his life, as he suffered from various complications of the disease, our parents frequently utilized the lodging facilities at the Ronald McDonald  House in Albuquerque. This is our family’s way of paying back their  kindness and support during our time of need.

The family of Aaron Ortega, who passed away in 2009, would like to express their most sincere gratitude to the following businesses, bands and  individuals for their donation and support for the third annual Aaron Ortega  Life & Death Fest, a heavy metal concert show done in his honor which took place on Oct. 27: Eagle’s Lodge #3815, Michael’s Precision Automotive, Overstreet Prod, The Trujillo Agency, Family Options, Delux Tatoos, Sounds Fanatic, Kocina de Raphael, Dick’s Liquors, Ralph’s Hair Cutters, Melissa’s Precision Interlock, Community 1st Bank, Pancho’s  Restaurant, Kreep, Manias, Daemonius, Soul Spawn, and Break the Silence, Juan and Annabella Ortega, Elsu, Diego Raines, Andrew Salazar and all other  friends and family whose names we may have omitted unintentionally.

This year, with your help, we raised $400 and collected approximately $200 worth of various household items such as tissue paper, toothpaste, shampoo,  etc. which were donated to the Ronald McDonald House of New Mexico on Nov. 8.

John C. Ortega
Las Vegas