A Christmas Wish for the Garritano Family

Presented by Fine Arts Network –

A California 501(c)3 Nonprofit Organization (please donate what you can)

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“It’s cancer.”

No one expects to hear those words at 42—while raising two young children, teaching at a dream job, and performing across Southern California. Yet that is the reality Casey Garritano faced, and the journey since has been far more difficult than anyone imagined.

Temecula’s theater community has enjoyed Casey’s extraordinary talent and heart. He has poured himself into productions as a director, choreographer, and musician, shaping beloved shows such as:
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
West Side Story
Rent
Some Enchanted Evening – The Songs of Rodgers & Hammerstein
Tick…Tick…BOOM!

 

Casey’s artistic impact has touched thousands—students, performers, musicians, and audiences alike.

But in mid-September, 2024, after escalating symptoms and a biopsy, Casey received a devastating diagnosis: Stage 3 cancer of the right vocal cord, spread to a lymph node in his neck, along with a concerning mass near his spine. And after months of aggressive chemotherapy and radiation, Casey now faces a deeply painful reality:

Casey has now lost his vocal cords and the ability to swallow and eat and talk.

His voice—the instrument he built a career on—has been taken from him. He now relies on feeding support, medical devices, and intensive therapy. And yet, even in the face of these extraordinary challenges, Casey’s spirit remains unshaken.

He refuses to give up.

Even while undergoing treatment and recovery, Casey has enrolled in electrician training—determined to find a new way to provide for his family. His resilience is nothing short of inspiring.

Still, the toll is immense.
Months of lost wages, staggering medical costs, and ongoing, complex care have placed a detrimental financial strain on the Garritano family that they simply cannot shoulder alone.

Courtney continues working full-time, caring for their children, and coordinating Casey’s appointments and daily needs. The family remains grateful for every prayer, meal, and kind gesture—but the support required at this stage is profound.

They need us now more than ever.

As part of The Casey Garritano Christmas Special, Fine Arts Network invites our community—the students he taught, the performers he inspired, the audiences he moved, and the friends he uplifted, and even people who have never met him—to come together in love, gratitude, and generosity.

 Every tax deductible donation made will be processed through Fine Arts Network, a California 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, and will go directly to support the Garritano family.

Your gift—large or small—will help with medical bills, therapy, living expenses, and the daily care Casey now requires.

Thank you

…for your prayers, your compassion, and your willingness to stand beside Casey, Courtney, and their children during this unimaginable season. Casey has given so much of himself to this community.

Now, we are honored to give back.

Love,

The FINE ARTS NETWORK Team