Music festivals with a cause
NEW YORK - From Coachella to Lollapalooza, it's the season for big concert festivals. But some festivals aren't just about the music -- they're rooted in nonprofit work.
One such event is the Tortuga Festival, which draws 100,000 revelers to Fort Lauderdale beach every April.
Past performers include Thomas Rhett, Morgan Wallen, Sheryl Crow, and Nelly.
Tortuga has raised more than $3 million for its title sponsor, Rock The Ocean, an ocean conservation group.
Chris Stacy founded both the nonprofit and the festival,. He says the focus is on five key areas: marine pollution, overfishing, coral reef degradation, shark conservation, and turtle conservation. Festival-goers can learn about all five at what's called the Conservation Village.
"Each of our five core areas gets their own tent, and we populate that tent with the people we really think are the thought leaders in teh area and are doing the best boots on the groundwork in that area," said Stacy. "They get to come out and be in front of 100,000 people that we bring on-site to the music festival that weekend, so it's a real win for everybody."
Another festival rooted in nonprofit work is the Sound Mind Live Music Festival, coming to New York's Central Park on May 21.
The event is partnered with the National Alliance on Mental Illness of New York, and this year's headliners include Hip Hop legend Big Boi and The Cold War Kids.
"A festival like this to me just kind of resonates with the purpose of life in general which contributes what you're able to do," said Kamauu, who is also set to perform. "Any charity that 's focusing on that is very needed right now."
And in Phoenix, this year's M3F Music Festival raised $1.2 million for 45 nonprofits, including Habitat for Humanity and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Event Producer Heather Rogers says charity work has been a leading factor of the festival since its inception.
"This is why we're doing it," Rogers said. "We're giving back to people and just trying to make a difference overall."
Past performers at the M3F Festival include Leon Bridges and Bon Iver.
Warner Bailey, the festival's marketing head, says they've built something special and are excited to see it grow.
"Music festivals can be more than just world-class music," he said. "It can really bring on causes that are important to the fans, the artists, and the people behind it."