Lollapalooza was the first-ever festival to blend art and activism in 1991, and Lolla Cares continues today as an integral part of the four-day event. It is our goal to include non-profits that add depth and richness to the overall festival experience, and inform and educate patrons beyond music. We choose organizations that are focused on raising awareness for a variety of causes, including art, the environment, and those committed to improving the quality of life for their community and future generations.
We’re excited to welcome back several organizations to Lolla Cares. Over the years, we’ve seen fans become more and more invested in these amazing causes as these organizations have figured out new and creative ways to engage fans through the Lolla Cares platform. Love Hope Strength, for example, had their highest number of potentially lifesaving matches register at Lollapalooza in 2016 at 853 through their “Get on the List” campaign. Lolla Cares 2017 will also feature new organization’s such as Chainlinks, who aims to promote sustainability and clean transportation at Lollapalooza by providing bike demonstration repairs, education on bike safety & maintenance, and by being able to provide patrons who ride to the festival with on the spot maintenance. All the organizations involved in Lolla Cares share a commitment to building community and inspiring others, which exempli es what Lollapalooza stands for.
—FARID MOSHER / Sr. Crowd Services and Community Outreach Manager
Black Lives Matter Chicago is an intersectional vehicle that values Black people and their right to self- determination. We fight for justice with families most impacted, while working to create just and equitable systems.
The vision of Chainlinks is a world brought closer together through the power and simplicity of bicycles. As the nation’s very first student-run bike shop, we envision a more environmentally aware, socially adept and healthier body and mind encouraged through the use of bikes.
HeadCount is a non-partisan organization that uses the power of music to register voters and promote participation in democracy. We reach young people and music fans where they already are—at concerts and online—to inform and empower.
Is this your first Lolla? If not, how many years have you been here? HeadCount’s been going to Lolla for years! It will be my first with HeadCount, but I’ve been many times for fun.
What will we find at your Lollapalooza booth? Everything one might need to participate in American democracy, from election information, to voter registration, to a fun photo booth. We are all about making your voice heard and ending apathy in politics.
Where are you from, what do you do, and how long have you been doing it? From Chicago, Illinois, currently running Participation Row on the Dead and Company Tour, then back to school in the fall.
What band(s) are you excited to see? Chance The Rapper, Arcade Fire, Alt-J and of course all the bands that have been longtime HeadCount supporters.
How has your organization and its mission changed over time and where do you see it going? HeadCount has always been all about making participation in democracy a little easier. This year we are making a big push to get people involved with local politics. Not a lot of people vote in local elections and we want to change that. Local elections often have a bigger effect on one’s daily life from the subway running on time, to rent being affordable. (Completed by James Salazar)
Love Hope Strength (LHS) is the world’s leading rock ’n’ roll cancer foundation, and since 2008, LHS has been hosting marrow donor drives at concerts and festivals across the globe via our Get on the List campaign. This program encourages people to sign up for the International Marrow Registry via a simple cheek swab, taking our concept of, “saving lives, one concert at a time,” to a whole new level. Since 2010, Lollapalooza has added 3,495 music fans to the International Marrow Registry, resulting in 71 potential life saving matches from the festival.
Is this your first Lolla? If not, how many years have you been here? We have been working with Lollapalooza to save lives since 2010.
What will we find at your Lollapalooza booth? Energetic volunteers educating and signing up music fans to be marrow donors to help save lives of those suffering from blood borne cancer and illness.
Where are you from, what do you do, and how long have you been doing it? Natalie James: Colorado native, executive director LHS Foundation, one and a half years. Love Hope Strength (LHS) is firmly established as the world’s leading rock and roll cancer foundation in Denver, Colorado. The organization was created in 2007, registered as a charity in 2008 (IRS #26-0528852), and co-founded by Mike Peters and James Chippendale. Mike is a two-time cancer survivor and an internationally acclaimed singer for the Welsh rock band The Alarm. James, a fellow cancer survivor, is a respected insurance executive specializing in the music industry. Together they had the vision that LHS could literally, “Save lives, one concert at a time!”
What band(s) are you excited to see? Cancer survivor Andrew McMahon In the Wilderness
How has your organization and its mission changed over time and where do you see it going? We have been working for years to save lives and since 2008 we have added 154,000 beautiful music fans across the nation to the national marrow registry making 3,300 potentially life saving matches. As we continue to grow the Get On The List program more lives will be saved! (Completed by Natalie James)
MusiCares provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need. MusiCares’ services and resources cover a wide range of financial, medical and personal emergencies, and each case is treated with integrity and confidentiality.
Is this your first Lolla? If not, how many years have you been here? This will be the fifth consecutive year MusiCares has had the privilege of participating backstage at the festival as a part of Lolla Cares.
What will we find at your Lollapalooza booth? Festival artists and full-time (local and touring) production crew members who value their hearing receiving custom hearing protection courtesy of MusiCares.
Where are you from, what do you do, and how long have you been doing it? MusiCares is headquartered in Santa Monica, California with regional offices in Nashville and New York City. Since 1989 the foundation has been providing financial assistance and support to music professionals experiencing times of personal hardship.
What band(s) are you excited to see? Ryan Adams, Spoon, the Shins, and Cage the Elephant are some personal favorites.
How has your organization and its mission changed over time and where do you see it going? MusiCares has stayed true to its mission of providing critical short-term assistance to those who earn their living in the music community when they may be at their most vulnerable. MusiCares is able to consider individual requests toward personal needs including, but not limited to, housing, medical, dental, mental health, substance abuse treatment and funeral/burial costs. Each request is handled with respect and confidentiality. As demand for services continues to increase, MusiCares is positioning itself to address the needs and issues most critical to music industry professionals including expanded access to preventative medical and dental care, plus initiatives that increase awareness of topics of importance for those whose livelihood is music. For more information and links to our social media, please visit musicares.org. (Completed by Erica Krusen)
ONE is a campaigning and advocacy organization of nearly eight-million people around the world taking action to end extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa.
Our Music My Body is a collaborative campaign led by Between Friends & Rape Victim Advocates to raise awareness about sexual harassment in the music scene. We believe everyone deserves to feel comfortable and safe when they go to a concert or festival.
Is this your first Lolla? If not, how many years have you been here? This will be Our Music My Body’s first year at Lolla! We have each individually been to Lolla before, but it’s been a little while; we’re very excited to be coming back.
What will we find at your Lollapalooza booth? Lolla-goers will find an interactive art piece at the Our Music My Body table, in which they can express how music makes them feel, and what a safe music experience looks like for them. You’ll also find us making customizable buttons on-site for all of your festival swag needs! Lastly, you’ll find important information and tips about how to practice consent at music festivals, to ensure that everyone has a great time.
Where are you from, what do you do, and how long have you been doing it? Our Music My Body is from Chicago! The two people who helped start the campaign are named Kat and Matt. Kat is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but now lives in Chicago and has been working as a prevention educator at Rape Victim Advocates for a year and a half. Matt grew up in Philadelphia but now lives in Chicago. He works for Between Friends and has been a prevention education specialist for the last three years.
What band(s) are you excited to see? Kat is excited to see Car Seat Headrest, Lil Yachty, and Alvvays, while Matt is looking forward to Noname, Lorde and Jidenna.
How has your organization and its mission changed over time and where do you see it going? Our Music My Body began over a year ago in response to high rates of sexual harassment occurring in the music world. A joint campaign by Between Friends and Rape Victim Advocates, it has grown into a project focused on creating fun and consensual music experiences for everyone. In the future, we hope to collaborate with musicians, music fans and festival staff to address sexual harassment through the formation of anti-harassment policies at festivals, security trainings, crisis intervention and on-site tabling. (Completed by Matt Walsh & Kat Stuehrk)
Oxfam is a global movement of people working together to end the injustice of poverty. With seventy years of experience in more than ninety countries, Oxfam takes on the big issues that keep people poor: inequality, discrimination and unequal access to resources including food, water and land.
Sparking compassion, curiosity and conservation for the aquatic animal world.
Is this your first Lolla? If not, how many years have you been here? Shedd Aquarium is a proud partner of Lollapalooza as of 2016 and we look forward to participating again this year!
What will we find at your Lollapalooza booth? Lollapalooza guests may get a glimpse of Shedd Aquarium’s upcoming exhibit, Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea, a series of massive animal sculptures made entirely from plastic marine debris collected from beaches—each sculpture represents life affected by plastic pollution. Guests are invited to create art from plastic materials found on our local beaches, and learn more about what they can do to keep single-use plastics, such as bottles, bags, straws and packaging, out of our waterways. Scientists estimate that by year 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in our oceans so educating people on how they can make a difference can go a long way!
Where are you from, what do you do, and how long have you been doing it? Midwest all the way! I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio but have lived in beautiful Chicago for the past ten years. I am the director of pr and communications at Shedd Aquarium and have the privilege of sharing the amazing stories about our animal care, conservation and animal rescue and rehabilitation efforts every day. I’ve been at Shedd for almost four years and it never gets old stopping by the beluga whales or sea otters on my way up to my office. Job perks.
What band(s) are you excited to see? There are so many great bands this year. I am really excited to see The Head and The Heart and some of the major headliners like Lorde and Blink-182. And of course Chicago local favorite Chance The Rapper.
How has your organization and its mission changed over time and where do you see it going? At Shedd Aquarium, we connect millions of guests with the natural world every day—inspiring people to care about animals and protect the earth’s beautiful water systems. We continue to build on that legacy with a new mission this year—one that boldly brings our passion for connecting people to the natural world front and center. Our new mission is: sparking compassion, curiosity and conservation for the aquatic animal world and this is at the core of what we do 365 days a year.
Compassion for animals evokes empathy for all of nature, which is marvelous, robust and equally fragile. Curiosity highlights how the Shedd experience brings people closer to animals and their ecosystems. We believe that everyone who visits Shedd has an inner marine biologist, a scientist who wants to learn more, ask questions and simply be amazed. Conservation has long been a key Shedd emphasis, but now with its clear, prominent addition to our mission we underscore the importance of protecting wild species and wild spaces in an urbanizing world. We have research scientists both on site and around the globe advancing our understanding and protecting the natural world. Accomplishing all of this, however, starts with the spark that is ignited right here at Shedd Aquarium, and that means access to our experiences, experts and animals is more important than ever. (Completed by Rachel LeFevre-Snee)
Our simple purpose is to provide support and information to those who seek the comfort and camaraderie of other clean and sober people at Lollapalooza. The only requirement is a desire to stay drug and alcohol free at the festival. Though we consist mostly of people in recovery from alcoholism and addiction, SoberSide exists for anyone wishing to stay clean, sober and those seeking serenity and fellowship at Lollapalooza.
Is this your first Lolla? If not, how many years have you been here? This is SoberSide’s fourth year at Lollapalooza, thank you.
What will we find at your Lollapalooza booth? SoberSide is the community for clean and sober music fans. Our volunteers are non-judgmental and have all faced personal challenges with sobriety. We offer honest open communication, experience, strength and hope to those seeking recovery in what can be a slippery environment. The only requirement is the desire to stay drug and alcohol free at Lollapalooza.
Where are you from, what do you do, and how long have you been doing it? SoberSide volunteers come from many cities. Nobody receives pay. Everyone’s travel, meals and accommodations are at his or her own expense, and volunteers often take vacation or time off without pay from work to serve. Our parent company is called Harmonium and began six years ago. We now serve eighteen major festivals across the U.S. annually, each operating under a specific name approved by the promoters. SoberSide also is open to new volunteers who may register their interest via harmoniuminc.com at the “Volunteer” link.
What band(s) are you excited to see? SoberSide volunteers understand and agree that service to those seeking recovery is our primary reason to attend Lollapalooza. If we get to see some terrific bands, that’s a bonus. Some of my target bands are Chance The Rapper, Frenship, London Grammar, Muse, and Rag ‘n’ Bone Man.
How has your organization and its mission changed over time and where do you see it going? SoberSide/Harmonium’s core mission has not varied since we were formed and began working at Lollapalooza. Each year we serve more people as thousands of previous attendees now know us and where we’re located at Lollapalooza. We’re carefully expanding into additional festivals as we feel one-hundred percent confident we can provide uncompromised service for our community. The change in festival programming from primarily classic/ legacy rock bands to more hip-hop and EDM is attracting a younger audience, requiring us to adopt evolving approaches to effectively reach their needs. We also are involved with large country music festivals, and these attract yet other different audiences we accommodate. (Completed by Sean Brickell)
Sponsor Content—a marketing partnership between Lollapalooza and Newcity
BLACK LIVES MATTER CHICAGO
CHAINLINKS
HEADCOUNT
LOVE HOPE STRENGTH FOUNDATION
MUSICARES
ONE CAMPAIGN
OUR MUSIC MY BODY
OXFAM AMERICA
SHEDD AQUARIUM
SOBERSIDE
