Donations are still coming in, but as of today, the Lightning Bug Music Festival has raised $6032 for summer camperships,” says Dunes Learning Center Executive Director, Geof Benson. “That’s going to touch a lot of lives.”
And that’s just what organizers Jim Chaddock and Andrea Georgion set out to do. “From the start, we wanted this to be much more than a concert.”
Billed as a “summer camp celebration and fundraiser,” proceeds from the day-long music festival provide tuition assistance for parents struggling to send kids to camp at Dunes Learning Center.
“These positive summer experiences are so beneficial for kids,” says Benson.
The mission struck a chord with families. Of the 1100 attending, many came with children in tow. Kite making, tie-dying and nature hikes, offered by Dunes Learning Center staff, blended seamlessly with an impressive music line-up and a green ethos that started at the gate.
Thanks to the BoBB Auto Group and Rolling Stonebaker, visitors received a reusable water bottle at the festival entrance, which could be filled at water stations provided by Coastal Valley Water Company. Organizers estimate this single step saved 960 plastic water bottles from the trash.
Local vendors did their part by using sustainable packaging for food items, while recycling containers placed throughout the venue kept waste out of the landfill.
The day was a great success by almost any measure, but there’s no moss growing under these rolling stones. Jim and Andrea are already planning the next Lightning Bug Music Festival. Mark your calendars for July 5, 2015.