Teddy and Spencer Boskoff, of Cold Spring Harbor, and friends...

Teddy and Spencer Boskoff, of Cold Spring Harbor, and friends have raised $7,000 to help victims in Los Angeles. Credit: Cold Spring Harbor School District

Two Cold Spring Harbor brothers are using music to help southern California wildfire victims.

Teddy Boskoff, a sixth grader at West Side Elementary School in Syosset, has raised close to $7,000 by performing the guitar for pedestrians in recent weeks at locations in lower Manhattan and downtown Huntington. He was accompanied by his younger brother, Spencer, a West Side third grader who created and held up a sign promoting his sibling’s charitable efforts.

The funds, which also included donations from family and friends, were divided between the Los Angeles Fire Department, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles and the Dream Center, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization focused on providing support to those affected by homelessness and hunger. The devastating January fires, now contained, have killed 29 people and destroyed more than 16,000 structures, according to California state officials.

“When we were playing, every time someone put even a dollar into the basket, I was so happy and so surprised, because I didn’t think we were going to make a lot of money,” said Teddy, 12. “I felt really bad for them [the fire victims]; it was horrible. That’s why I wanted to help out, because everybody was losing their homes and everything they had.”

Spencer, 9, added: “I love helping people; it just makes my heart feel so good.”

Teddy, who has been playing since he was 5, uses an Eddie Van Halen Limited Edition 5150 Deluxe Ash guitar and takes music lessons at iSchool Music & Art in Syosset. He also performs during his spare time in two rock bands — Happy Young Kid, comprising friends from West Side Elementary School, and Chin Diaper, made up of Teddy’s peers at iSchool.

During his street performances, Teddy played at three locations in lower Manhattan — the intersection of Lafayette and Spring streets, the intersection of Broome and Lafayette streets and at a nearby spot on Broadway. He also raised money by performing outside a Starbucks in Huntington and with Happy Young Kid at Christopher’s restaurant in Huntington.

At the Starbucks, West Side student Sabrina Sanders contributed vocal accompaniment to Teddy’s strumming, while Teddy and Spencer’s cousin Blake Boskoff pitched in by holding up a sign.

“Elementary school-aged children often find it challenging to see how they can make a meaningful impact in the face of large-scale disasters, but Teddy and Spencer Boskoff have shown that even small actions can lead to extraordinary change and inspire a ripple effect and chain reaction,” said West Side Principal John Barnes.

Get the latest news and more great videos at NewsdayTV Credit: Newsday

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