Obituary

Sequoia Slentz

June 27, 1976 – May 16, 2022

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Photo by Leslie Christen

Sequoia Slentz

Sequoia Slentz of Laguna Beach passed away as a result of mental illness on May 16, 2022.

Born July 27, 1976, Sequoia grew up running around the Sawdust Festival and Shaw’s Cove, a place that remained special to him throughout his life. He graduated in 1994 from Laguna Beach High School where he met his wife, Leslie Christen, with whom he had two sons, Micah (16) and Logan (12). He attended San Diego State University.

Sequoia was the lead singer of Yer Mom, a Laguna Beach punk band. He released music from other area bands, as well as groups from out of state, on his CleanBox Entertainment label. For years, he booked Monday nights at the Sandpiper Lounge, which were often packed.

CleanBox grew to become a successful live events company, with Sequoia and his team promoting performances across the U.S. by well-known acts such as Artie Lange and the Fab Faux. He launched comedy tours featuring personalities from The Howard Stern Show, including a three-day festival in Jamaica.

Sequoia expanded and developed his family’s land in Point Arena, California, into Buckridge Grove, a highly rated and reviewed campground that is consistently filled with nature lovers throughout the camping season.

In 2012, Sequoia and Micah started Play Well Africa after Micah, then only 6, said he wanted to send LEGO^® sets to kids in Africa who didn’t have any. In 2015, the nonprofit gained national media attention and LEGO^® donations poured in.

Sequoia and his family traveled to Uganda many times and brought more than 4,000 pounds of LEGOs^® to families and schools there and in other countries on the continent. To date, PWA has provided some 6,000 children, who previously had no toys or learning tools, with the opportunity to play with LEGOs^® on a regular basis. The nonprofit remains active and will continue in Sequoia’s memory.

While in Uganda, Sequoia sponsored schooling for a number of children, including Esther and Veronica, whom he regarded as his daughters. Dramatically and tangibly improving the lives of individuals he connected with in Uganda – such as holding a fundraiser to remove a large tumor from a woman’s face – was deeply fulfilling for Sequoia.

The rare combination of dreamer and man of action, Sequoia could not help but change the lives of those around him simply by being who he was. His entrepreneurial spirit was infectious. He saw the world as a place of endless possibility and freely shared that vision with everyone he met. He led many people to accomplish things that he knew were possible for them before they could see it themselves.

Sequoia was an avid traveler who believed in the transformative power of cultural exchange. He visited more than 20 countries with his sons and lived abroad with them for months at a time. Sequoia was also impossibly social – he never met a stranger. He is survived by hundreds of friends throughout the world.

“Planet Earth is my country and my religion is to do good.” That’s what Sequoia always said. And he did a staggering amount of good in his 45 years on this planet. Thank you for inspiring us to be our best selves, Sequoia. We’ll take it from here.

A memorial will be held in Laguna Beach at a later date. Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to be notified.

In lieu of flowers, a fundraiser for Micah and Logan’s education is being held at gofundme.com/f/help-support-micah-and-logan.

Play Well Africa is holding a memorial fundraiser to ship 1,600 pounds of donated LEGOs^® that Sequoia had stored in California to Uganda and to continue the schooling of Ugandan children he sponsored. Donate at www.gofundme.com/f/playwellafrica.