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by Kristen
Fischer
DiscoveringArtists.com
It's fun to go to a concert — but it's even
better when you're contributing to a cause while you
groove away. And you're in luck if you're heading out
to a show featuring some of the artists on our site.
You may just find the "humanitarian babes."
Dubbed HB Charities by Toca Rivera (Jason Mraz), the
organization got its start during May after Tiffany
Green, Ana Perez, Elyse Angone and Michelle Verdugo
decided they wanted to contribute to their current hometown
of Jacksonville,
Florida.
"Concerts are huge untapped sources of people who could
easily bring some food and drop it off at the door-
so why not?" says Green. Green, 19, hails from Florida
State University at Tallahassee. Since then, the girls,
combined with four other friends, began their mission.
A core group of volunteers from New York City to Los
Angeles set out to make a difference in the world.
"With drives being scheduled from Florida to
New York City to a possible west coast jaunt in fall,
we could not possibly schedule everything from this
far away- so we have to have people in those contact
destinations," Green adds. Two of her group members
live in Canada.
They started by contacting one of their favorite artists
management team – and soon ironed out the details
to have their first drive at the Freebird Cafe in Jacksonville,
FL on June 17, 2003. The concert featured Gavin DeGraw,
Maroon 5 and Jason Mraz. . Then it was onto the August
6 and 7 Gavin DeGraw/Sister Hazel shows in New York
City. Green trekked up to New York City and Philadelphia
over the weekend to take part in those drives, run a
Jason Mraz Street Team promotional event at Mraz's August
8 show in New Jersey, and two more food drives at Mraz
shows in Philly and NYC. The girls travel on their own
budgets to help out at many events and rely on their
team of representatives to help out with drives when
they can't.
The girls work along with artists, venues, promoters
and media, to form a solid base of contacts to help
them as they continue to plan other drives. They have
been working with Second Harvest Food Banks around the
United States. The artists have also agreed to donation
incentives. The first 100 people at the August 6 and
7 Gavin DeGraw/Sister Hazel shows to bring 15 or more
donations got to meet and greet both bands.
"We have more banks in the future plans, as well
as other events such as Clothing and Necessity Drives
for Battered Women and Children's Shelters, Street Team
Promotional Events, Street Clean Ups, Autographed merchandise
auctioned for the Make A Wish Foundation, and eventually
a benefit concert," she says.
Green admits the response has been a little overwhelming.
"I have never met such amazing people with the
most kind and generous hearts as I have while we are
working with these artists," she says. "It
is strange to go from fan of the music to working together
on achieving something great for the community that
the concert is held in, but its the best kind of strange
possible. All of the artists and their managements,
street teams and fans have been nothing short of extraordinary."
So I asked her how all of it made her feel inside...you
know, warm fuzzies and all. She said she doesn't
think one word could accurately sum up her feelings.
"If there was some nice combination of thankful, blessed,
appreciative, overwhelmed, and joyful — I think
that would do," she says. "Let me just say that although
welcomed, it is very odd to have people coming up to
you and giving YOU hugs and thanking YOU for doing something
for their community at a concert."
Despite all of the hard work and feel-good benefits,
Green's life has dramatically changed. She said
she has had to get used to a wealth of e-mails and instant
messages, and puts about 30 hours a week into the charity
work. Currently, the girls are looking for all the help
they can get, as well as financial sponsorships to assist
them with travel expenses.
But their fans provide the support that the girls rely
on to get them through the long hours and the empty
wallet blues.
"We receive emails everyday and fans are always giving
us shoutouts in their IM profiles, online message boards
— some going so far as to lead up promotion in
their town, hold mini-drives at their workplaces to
bring to the show, and call radio stations to promote
it on air," Green says. "We couldn't do this without
all the fans of the artists that come out for a night
of amazing music and who contribute to some people who
could use it more than they will ever know."
Currently, HB Charities is working with some more artists
at the moment to coordinate Drives on their Fall tours.
"We'll continue working with Jason Mraz, Gavin
DeGraw, Maroon 5, and Sister Hazel in the upcoming months."
"Some artists we'd love to work with include Matchbox
20, John Mayer, Tristan Prettyman, and any artist that
would like to work with us," Green adds.
HBCharities collected 425 pounds of food at the Philly
Mraz show and 250 pounds at the NYC Mraz show.
If you would like to coordinate a charity event with
the HB Charity or for more information, please contact
them at HBCharity@hotmail.com.
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