Part of the Official Guide to Lollapalooza’s Green Street
Lolla Cares organizations, located in Green Street North and South, support surrounding and international communities with causes ranging from health advocacy to sustainable living to fighting poverty at home and abroad.
Is this your first Lolla? If not, how many years have you been here? This is my second year at Lolla, but my first as an exhibitor. I had a blast last time I was here—I nudged my way right up to the front at Florence + the Machine. It was unforgettable!
What will we find at your Lollapalooza booth? At the Chicago Cares booth, you’ll find ways to volunteer in Chicago all year round. We run more than 200 volunteer projects a month in every corner of the city. You can learn more about projects like cooking breakfast for seniors, working an urban greenhouse or reading to kids. And just for fun, we’ll have a giant game of Kerplunk!
Where are you from, what do you do, and how long have you been doing it? I migrated to Chicago from California four years ago, and I work on communications for Chicago Cares. I love Chicago and I’m happy to spend my work time making the city a better place, and my free time exploring and enjoying the city.
How green are you? At Chicago Cares, protecting and enhancing the environment is one of our focus areas. One of my absolute favorite volunteer projects is the Kilbourn Park Organic Greenhouse, one of the only teaching greenhouses in the city. I was lucky enough to bring home some tomato and pepper plants from there—I’m hoping for homegrown organic veg to be gracing my table soon!
What do you plan to be doing in the year 2050? Flying a hovercraft to work, clearly!
What band(s) are you hoping to sneak away from your booth to see? Of Monsters and Men and Alabama Shakes, plus Paul McCartney. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime lineup!
Is this your first Lolla? If not, how many years have you been here? This is my first Lollapalooza, though HeadCount and Rock the Vote have been going for many years. I cannot wait to get to Grant Park to experience great music and great people in the windy city.
What will we find at your Lollapalooza booth? The HeadCount and Rock the Vote booth will have everything you need to register to vote and better participate in American Democracy. If you’ve got any questions about voting we’ve got answers for you! We will also be giving away lots of cool swag of all varieties.
Where are you from, what do you do, and how long have you been doing it? I’m from San Francisco but now live in New York City. I’ve worked as HeadCount’s Outreach Director for the past two years, managing our volunteer teams across the country and making sure that people get to register to vote at festivals like Lollapalooza rather than by standing in line at the DMV.
How green are you? We partnered up with the Disco Biscuits to install solar panels at public elementary schools. In addition we try and reduce the amount of paper in general and advocate for online voter registration tools.
What do you plan to be doing in the year 2050? The same thing I’m doing now. Helping people participate in the democratic process. Though I suppose it would be pretty cool to be running a voter registration drive on Mars.
What band(s) are you hoping to sneak away from your booth to see? Alt-J, War on Drugs, Gary Clark Jr., Glass Animals, Moon Taxi, and of course the man, the myth, the legend Sir Paul McCartney.
Is this your first Lolla? If not, how many years have you been here? We have been involved since 2010.
Where are you from, what do you do, and how long have you been doing it? I live in Denver, Colorado and I tour the country with bands and festivals to save lives from blood cancers by our #GETONTHELIST campaign.
How green are you? Try to be as green as possible because we only have one earth.
What do you plan to be doing in the year 2050? Living an old but happy life!
What band(s) are you hoping to sneak away from your booth to see? In The Whale from Denver. They are a very rad band!
Is this your first Lolla? If not, how many years have you been here? We have been at Lolla for a number of years and have a long-term relationship with the festival.
What will we find at your Lollapalooza booth? Information on how to end extreme poverty by 2030 and friendly faces of advocates who are working every day to make that happen!
Where are you from, what do you do, and how long have you been doing it? That’s a complicated question. I grew up in Oregon, New Hampshire and Wisconsin, where I now call home. I am the Regional Field Director for the ONE Campaign and have been in this role since September. My job is to organize, train and mobilize volunteers in the Midwest for ONE in the fight to end extreme poverty. We deal largely with federal legislation that impacts foreign aid programs that invest in things like vaccinations, nutrition, life-saving drugs, etc.
How green are you? We are working hard to get electricity access in Sub-Saharan Africa using a heavy mix of green tech (solar, wind, biomass, etc.) as a part of the broader solutions to end extreme poverty.
What do you plan to be doing in the year 2050? Working to end the next level of poverty.
What band(s) are you hoping to sneak away from your booth to see? Sir Paul McCartney. I’m a huge Beatles fan.
Is this your first Lolla? If not, how many years have you been here? We are thrilled to be returning to Lolla for our third year! We’ve always had a blast and are grateful to have received such a positive response from the crowd!
What will we find at your Lollapalooza booth? We’re all about having fun while making a global impact! This year, we have been focused on our campaign to reform food aid, and we need your voice! At our booth, visitors will have a chance to learn how we can maximize resources to save lives, test their knowledge and win prizes, take a selfie against hunger, and sign our petition urging legislators to adopt important reforms!
Where are you from, what do you do, and how long have you been doing it? Oxfam was founded in Britain as the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief in 1942. Oxfam America, part of the international Oxfam confederation, was formed in 1970 and is based in Boston, Massachusetts, with offices in Washington, DC. We, the Oxfam Action Corps, are local volunteers who work to engage the community in Oxfam’s campaigns. Action Corps volunteers have spent the last nine years working in thirteen cities across the nation to build grassroots support for our campaigns.
How green are you? We strive to be as green as we can. Our GROW campaign and GROW method are based on the principle that there is enough for everyone, as long as we use our resources wisely. We know that pollution and climate change affect the world’s poorest first and worst. Efficient use of resources and minimizing waste is a key part of Oxfam’s work.
What band(s) are you hoping to sneak away from your booth to see? We’re very excited that Oxfam supporters Sylvan Esso are here! Also looking forward to Bear’s Den, Walk the Moon, Alabama Shakes, and all the headliners!
Is this your first Lolla? Yes, this is PETA’s first time at Lolla.
What will we find at your Lollapalooza booth? At the PETA/MFM booth, you’ll find an arrangement of fun and educational material about making the world a kinder and greener place—not to mention our lovely vegan Lettuce Ladies to help spread the word!
Where are you from, what do you do, and how long have you been doing it? PETA’s headquarters are in Norfolk, Virginia, and we are currently celebrating our thirty-fifth year. PETA focuses its attention on the four areas in which the largest numbers of animals suffer the most intensely for the longest periods of time: on factory farms, in the clothing trade, in laboratories, and in the entertainment industry.
How green are you? At PETA, we advocate for eating vegan, since eating one pound of beef uses as much water as about six months’ worth of showers. Meat’s not green!
What do you plan to be doing in the year 2050? Working part-time because most of the world’s population has adopted a cruelty-free lifestyle!
What band(s) are you hoping to sneak away from your booth to see? One of our favorite vegetarians: Paul McCartney! We wouldn’t want to miss the chance to see everyone “Come Together” for a better planet!
Is this your first Lolla? If not, how many years have you been here? No, this is going to be our seventh year in a row here at Lolla and we’re so excited! Crazy to think back that our first year here was the summer after President—and Chicagoan—Barack Obama marked his election on the same grounds.
What will we find at your Lollapalooza booth? You’ll find out just how easy it is to register to vote! But seriously, we’ll also have some fun interactive giveaways and of course, you can register to vote wherever your home is, which really is very easy, we promise!
Where are you from, what do you do, and how long have you been doing it? We are from Washington, DC and are the largest non-profit and non-partisan organization in the United States dedicated to building the political power of young people. This year we mark our twenty-fifth anniversary.
How green are you? One of our main goals at Rock the Vote is getting all of the U.S. onboard for allowing people to register to vote online. Less paper registration forms equals more trees!
What do you plan to be doing in the year 2050? We hope we’re celebrating the fact that one-hundred percent of all eligible Americans are registered and voting in elections!
What band(s) are you hoping to sneak away from your booth to see? Wow, the whole lineup looks epic. I know our president Ashley Spillane loves her some Kid Cudi!
Is this your first Lolla? If not, how many years have you been here? This is SoberSide’s second Lolla.
What will we find at your Lollapalooza booth? SoberSide is staffed by a group of passionate volunteer music lovers who chose to remain clean and sober at the festival. The SoberSide tent is open to everyone seeking serenity and fellowship in the midst of all the fun.
Where are you from, what do you do, and how long have you been doing it? SoberSide volunteers come from all across America, coast-to-coast and border-to-border. Why SoberSide? Need to talk? If you need someone to talk with, that’s why we’re at SoberSide. In distress? We care, so relax. We’re compassionate people who can provide support in a non-judgmental and confidential manner. Want connection? So do we. All of our people have experienced a broad range of struggles of their own and are willing to be open about them with you. Our organization is in its fourth year. We provide clean and sober environments at fourteen major music festivals each year in the U.S.
How green are you? We subscribe to Green Initiatives, and believe people should Do No Harm.
What do you plan to be doing in the year 2050? Ultimately, we hope every music festival and concert in the world will have a clean and sober environment in the future.
What band(s) are you hoping to sneak away from your booth to see? SoberSide volunteers are dedicated to service for those seeking us at Lolla. Even though we’re passionate about music, bands and tunes are just a secondary benefit for us. We appreciate any acts we get to see. Fortunately, Lolla has such a terrific lineup that each of our volunteers will be able to enjoy some amazing performances.
Is this your first Lolla? If not, how many years have you been here? This is Syd Rocks’ second year participating in the Lolla Cares program at Lollapalooza. Syd Rocks raises money for Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH), a little known, potentially fatal disease that mainly impacts children.
What will we find at your Lollapalooza booth? The heart of Syd Rocks, and what helps raise money for LCH, is the Syd Rocks necklace. The premise is a simple one. Rocks are collected along the shoreline of Lake Michigan, holes are drilled so a string can fit through, charms are added and a Syd Rocks necklace is born. Each rock tells a different story and means something different to every person. So each Syd Rocks necklace is completely personal. Visit the Syd Rocks booth to pick out a necklace that’s already made, or select your own rock and we’ll create one for you. Our necklace is a great way to make a meaningful fashion statement by wearing your Syd Rocks proudly. We’re also selling really cool merchandise, including t-shirts, tanks and hoodies.
Where are you from, what do you do, and how long have you been doing it? Syd Rocks is a suburban Chicago-based non-profit but was born in Michigan when I was eight years old. I found rocks with natural holes in them on the beach and turned them into rock necklaces. Two years later, when I was ten, I was diagnosed with LCH. Every Thursday when I had my chemo treatment, my friends and family who I had sold the rock necklaces to would wear them to support me with my treatment. They called them Syd Rocks. I decided to start raising money for medical research for this little-known disease through selling the rock necklaces. Since then Syd Rocks has expanded and now sells the necklaces at retail stores and online. Syd Rocks has a board of directors who put on annual fundraising events revolving around rock music. It has been eight years since Syd Rocks was born and we have raised over $350,000 for medical research. Syd Rocks has grown to be a nationally recognized non-profit and one of the biggest supporters of LCH research in the country.
How green are you? The rock necklaces are as green as you can get. Through fundraising events we have collected thousands of natural beach rocks from the shores of Lake Michigan which are then sent off to be drilled with a high-pressure water drill. Then they are sent back to Chicago where we string the rocks and a small gold heart tag onto a waxed cotton string. Making the necklaces is a group effort. I make them with Girl Scouts, schools and various clubs. The rocks are beautiful and completely natural. I don’t know what’s greener.
What do you plan to be doing in the year 2050? In the year 2050 I plan on there being a cure for LCH and that the money raised from Syd Rocks is instrumental in finding that desperately needed cure. Even then there is always room for improvement so I hope that Syd Rocks keeps growing and becomes a household name.
What band(s) are you hoping to sneak away from your booth to see? This year’s lineup is unbelievable. I have been listening to Paul McCartney since the day I was born so I can’t miss that one. I am a huge alt-J fan; “Tessellate” is one of my favorite songs. Need to see the Alabama Shakes, Cold War Kids and Wild Belle.
Is this your first Lolla? If not, how many years have you been here? Nope! Working Bikes has been at Lolla for the past four years.
What will we find at your Lollapalooza booth? We’ll be bringing our bike machines, stationary bikes that power a record player or pump water as you ride. They demonstrate how bikes can be used to generate electricity in places without electricity.
Where are you from, what do you do, and how long have you been doing it? Working Bikes was founded in Oak Park in 1999. We donate used bicycles in Africa, Central America and Chicago, providing people with low income an affordable, efficient and green way to get where they need to be! We also sell used bikes at our shop in Pilsen, generating nearly one-hundred percent of the funds that make our bike donations possible.
How green are you? Very green! Working Bikes diverts about 7,000 bikes from scrapyards each year, reducing waste while supporting environmentally friendly transportation.
What do you plan to be doing in the year 2050? Donating our 225,000th bike!
What band(s) are you hoping to sneak away from your booth to see? The Alabama Shakes, Sylvan Esso, Toro y Moi.
