Day 301: What is Giving?

What is giving? How is it defined? Is it a Wikipedia definition we search on Google? It is donating millions of dollars to one organization in hopes to create the change in the world you want to see? Or is it as simple as one small action, one small gesture, or participating as a community to bring people together to create change.

This give did just that – it brought a community together to enjoy life and create change for people around the world and the planet.

Day 301: Give 301

The 28th annual Hillside Music Festival is the place to be every 3rd weekend in July in Ontario. The Hillside Team does a 3 day music festival for 3 reasons:

1)Love

2) Peace

3) Planet

Just when I thought I was going for the music I realized this weekend was so much more than just a music festival. I was giving back in more ways than I could count.

There are a list of initiatives that Hillside has taken to help give back to the community as well as the planet. Just by attending the event our family gave back in so many ways:

1)      Supporting musicians from all over the world

2)      Recycling, Reusing, Reduce

3)      Planting Trees

4)      Supports Charitable Organizations both local and foreign (Meal Exchange, Bracelet of Hope, Community Torchlight, Habitat for Humanity) the list goes on

5)      Solar Powered / Living Roof Main Stage

Over the past 20 years Hillside has calculated through their green initiatives they have saved over 410 tonnes of C02. (Equal to 80 cars taken off the road for 1 year)

Here are a few ideas any corporate or fundraising event could embrace to save of massive amounts of waste. 

1)      Volunteers washing all the dishes, cutleries and glassware used over the course of the weekend.

2)      Water Tanker providing fresh drinking water so bottled water does not have to be purchased by guests

3)      Shuttle Buses to encourage less driving

4)      Meatless Meals provided by food vendors

5)      Tree Planting (partnering with the Green Legacy Programme)

6)      Educational Classes on all things sustainable and the environemnt

Other than the tree planting we participated in all these ways plus a few of our own.

1)      We camped rather than staying at a hotel saving on a weekend of electricity.

2)      We drove our fuel efficient rental car to the Festival.

3)      We brought our own reusable beer mugs (from Vancouver) from previous year’s attendance. (You could buy a new one that was made from corn!)

I felt great attending an event that was giving so much. What if ever event took the time and thought that Hillside has to help the planet, educate and entertain! Have you been to an event this summer that creates change in the world. Leave us a comment and tell us about the event you attended.

Time Commitment: 2 days of nothing but great music and fun in the sun

Cost:  $40 day pass to $110 for a 3 day weekend pass