In just one day of musical fun and games, VH1 Save the Music Foundation’s third annual Family Day, which took place in March, earned enough money to reinstate a music program in a needy school.
With more than 2,400 attendees at The Anderson School in New York City, the family-friendly event—hosted by Nick Lachey—raised $30,000 for the organization’s cause.
While some experiences required paid tickets, such as the headlining concert with JoJo, most of the activities were free.
“We always look for new ways to engage audiences, but we know that we shouldn’t be asking families to spend a ton of money to attend this event,” explains Nia Mack, development officer of special events and partnerships at VH1 Save the Music. “But the ticket prices did allow us to raise money for this great cause.”
The free experiences were just as exciting for the participants.
“There were performances with a wide variety of genres,” Mack says. “One of our stations had steel drum music; another had jazz. We had one area with recycled materials for kids to create their own instruments. Our presenting sponsor for the event was Tyson. That was fun for the kids, not only because they got to sample chicken nuggets, but they also made egg shakers.”
The foundation usually hosts more intimate events, like concerts in the Hamptons, with limited invitations. Family Day is its only free and open event, but it is becoming very popular.
“Now we’re being asked to bring it to other places,” Mack says. “We can only do so if we have the support and money to do our work.”
Even if Family Day doesn’t expand, it’s definitely in the works for next year.
“Each year we’re trying to make it better, and it was a successful event,” Mack says. “We want to show people how music education is valuable.”
