Sending Scamp Love to Colorado

Flooding in Lyons, CO forced a whole communities out of their homes.[/caption] Back in the day people used to donate their own time, money, and energy to support a cause. They would stand in the streets with signs and volunteer at shelters in order to change the world around them.  Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore.  These days most people sit around and watch tragedies unfold on their TV sets, in the comforts of their own home.  They might talk about it at school or work, commenting on how sad it must be, passionately saying, “Someone should do something about it.”  Somewhere along the way our generation has lost the courage to stand up and do something about it themselves.  They assume someone else or maybe even our government will take care of these tragic situations that happen around the world. This is not the case within our Summer Camp community and this is what sets us apart from every other festival.  Summer Camp is more than a festival, it is a family.  I personally know at least 5 Summer Campers that have had their lives flipped upside down by this natural disaster and their accounts of the devastation are heart breaking. Luckily, we are a community that supports each other in times of need.  Across the board Summer Camp artists, Make-a-Difference nonprofits, and even individual Scampers are donating their money, time, and energy towards flood relief and rebuilding efforts. Many Summer Camp artists and bands have stepped up in unique ways to help aid devastated Colorado communities. One of our favorite late night acts, Lotus, was right in the thick of it when the flooding occurred.  Their September 13th Red Rocks show had to be postponed due to the rain and lack of safe roadways to the venue.  They immediately turned this upset around by hosting a benefit show that same evening at the Armoury in Denver in order to raise funds for the Red Cross.  Lotus’s opening acts and Summer Camp Alumni, Minnesota and Break Science, also hosted a last minute fundraiser that raised over $5,000 for United Way’s Flood Relief Fund. STS9 has taken a different route by donating all proceeds from merchandise, along with live recording sales, to help raise over $10,000 for Colorado.  Many other bands have been holding food and supply drives during their shows for those displaced due to evacuations.  Some bands, like Yonder Mountain String Band, have chosen to donate 100% of proceeds from their Colorado shows towards rebuilding communities effected by the floods. Just by enjoying these shows, attendees will be contributing to flood relief efforts: a win/win situation for all involved. Big Gigantic is hosting Flood Relief Benefit shows this weekend, Sept. 27th and 28th at the Fillmore in Denver and at Red Rocks Amphitheater, respectively.  They will be donating a portion of ticket sales directly to Conscious Alliance’s Flood Relief Fund along with collecting supplies and food for those washed out.  Big G will also be hosting a Big Gigantic Cleanup Day with details still to be determined.  This act has really stepped up in a BIG way for their home state and Summer Camp favorite nonprofit, Conscious Alliance will be bringing the food and supplies collected to hundreds of Colorado families directly effected by the floods. Now you may ask yourself, “What can I do?”  and the truth is A LOT!  I am a firm believer that grassroots efforts can truly make a difference and I know from first had experience that everyone has an ability to change the world in their own special way. There are tons of opportunities where you can personally help Colorado.  While donating money may be the easiest solution, you can also contribute by hosting fundraisers and supply drives.  Setting up these types of events isn’t as difficult as you might think.  You would be surprised how many businesses or even family members would be happy to support your cause if you just took the time to ask.  Garage sales, party hosting, and benefit car washes are all easy ways to bring in money.  Organizing a “split the pot” at your favorite bar or a bake sale at your school is easy as pie, literally. You can also donate your time.  Simply sending an email out to your friends and family with a link to a charity you believe it like Conscious Alliance can help raise more money than you might expect.  Better yet, taking the time to roll up your sleeves to help clean up would make the world of difference to those who have to rebuild their lives and homes. I personally wanted to do something to help a family I knew had lost everything in the Colorado floods.  So I had the idea of holding some sort of raffle during my birthday party in Chicago last weekend.  Since most of my friends and family would be there, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to do some good in the midst of opening presents and blowing out candles.  I got in touch with Umphrey’s McGee to see if they were interested in donating a couple of prizes for our raffle.  While Umprhey’s had already announced they would be contributing a percentage of ticket sales to flood relief, they were more than happy to gift us some awesome merchandise for the raffle.  With just a few t-shirts, a signed poster, and some DVDs, we were able to raise over $400 for a family who lost everything in Lyons, CO.  This is an example of grass roots at its finest. For those of you living in Denver, on October 14th Umphrey’s UM/ Mondays will be hosting a fundraiser where they will be raffling off a variety of items for flood victims.  This group of Umphrey’s fans have been getting together at their favorite Denver bars to listen to live Umphrey’s and drink some heady beers for over a year.  They knew this weekly event was a perfect opportunity to get their community involved in flood relief.  They are now accepting donations through their Facebook page or you can just show up to the fundraiser!  Awesome prizes and an awesome time is guaranteed! Visit Help Colorado NOW to donate directly to Colorado counties effect by the floods or come out to one of our many Summer Camp community events to support the cause.  Or, better yet, host your own! Let’s show Colorado just how much our Summer Camp family cares!]]>