Funds being raised for hospitalized Helen Borgers, longtime K-Jazz DJ laid off in June

Helen Borgers, the legendary jazz DJ who was laid off after more than 38 years by local radio station KKJZ (K-Jazz) in late June, has been hospitalized with a serious medical condition at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, where she is in the Intensive Care at the hospital’s Cardiac Care Unit.

The 60-year-old Borgers is waiting for life-saving surgery that can’t be performed until her health stabilizes.

Meanwhile, her bills are stacking up and she has run through her life’s savings, prompting her longtime friend Brooke Wharton to set up a crowd-funding campaign. The goal is $60,000. So far, about $7,500 has been raised.

“She was totally shocked when she was let go,” said Wharton. “She had no idea it would happen.”

The station is based at Cal State Long Beach.

Borgers lost her health insurance when she was laid off. Although she got insurance privately, it’s expensive due to her pre-existing condition, and the operation, when she has it, will involve intensive rehabilitation and she may not be fit for work at least through the end of the year.

Although she was born in Kansas, Borgers was raised in Long Beach. She and Wharton have been friends since their days at Hill Junior High in East Long Beach.

Borgers has also been heavily involved with the Long Beach Shakespeare Company. She has been the group’s artistic director since 1997.

In addition to the funds raised through the website, Borgers’ brother, another longtime jazz-radio DJ Ken Borgers, now with KSDS-Jazz 88 in San Diego, and Ken Poston, that station’s general manager, are booking musicians for a benefit concert for Helen that will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Oct. 1 at the Orange County Musicians’ Union at 2050 South Main St. in Santa Ana.

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