NYC’s Homegrown Music Festival Governors Ball Returns to NYC this Weekend June 5-7

Capalino has been working with Governors Ball to kick off its fifth annual concert taking place at New York City’s Randall’s Island this weekend June 5-7 .

Below is the press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Contact: Kerri Lyon, 917-348-2191, klyon@nullskdknick.com

NYC’s Homegrown Music Festival Returns This Weekend

Governors Ball combines world-class acts with community investments and partnerships aimed at food instability & promotion of East Harlem economy

 Randall’s Island, NY– The Governors Ball Music Festival is set to kick off its fifth annual concert on New York City’s Randall’s Island this weekend. The three-day event will feature 66 musical acts and more than 50 food, art, and cultural offerings. Last year the event generated over $38 million in economic activity for New York City and East Harlem. This year Governors Ball has expanded a full range of community partnerships and philanthropic local investments that have helped make it New York’s premier homegrown music event.

“Governors Ball Music Festival has made giving back to the community a priority. This festival will provide more than just fun – it will help provide opportunity to New Yorkers,” said New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. “By dedicating resources to empowering the East Harlem community, supporting the New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund, and encouraging community service, Governors Ball has demonstrated a strong commitment to East Harlem and the entire city of New York.”

“Our festival may be based around world-class music, but our priorities go much deeper than that,” said Governors Ball co-founder Tom Russell, of Founders Entertainment. “We recognize the opportunity our hometown provided us and we will always share our success with the communities and the people who have made this all possible. We intend to be New York City’s premier music festival for years to come and we will continue to make the partnerships and investments we’ve made in these neighborhoods the backbone of that commitment.”

“This year’s Governor’s Ball Music Festival will bring career opportunities, local investment, and economic growth to East Harlem and New York City – as well as a weekend of world-class music and talent,” said New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. “With partnerships aimed at fighting hunger, supporting our first responders and promoting small businesses,  Governor’s Ball has proven that entertainment can be socially-conscious and community -oriented.  I thank Governor’s Ball and all the volunteers for working with the community to create an exciting and safe event.”

Investments in East Harlem and New York City

Governors Ball has invested significantly in East Harlem and throughout New York City. These investments include:

• Naming the New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund the official charity partner of Governors Ball, with a portion of ticket sales benefiting its charitable organization, Answer the Call.
• Allowing concertgoers to earn free tickets to the festival in exchange for volunteering at food pantries in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx. This program resulted in more than 1,200 hours of community service in the months leading up to this festival.
• Sponsoring 10 local young people in the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City’s summer youth employment program.
• Hiring local residents to fill more than 120 custodial shifts, each paying a living wage.
• Offering a free booth to Union Settlement at the festival and providing free job-exposure field trips to local kids the week of the show.
• Designating East Harlem’s Hot Bread Kitchen the preferred bread vendor for all food vendors and for Governors Ball’s own catering.
• Providing a free booth for local East Harlem jewelry designer Nicole Romano.
• Including East Harlem eco-friendly food truck Neapolitan Express in the food offerings.

“We are so pleased to partner with the Governors Ball Music Festival for a second year,” said David Nocenti, Executive Director of Union Settlement. “The event  provides job opportunities for young adults in our workforce development program, and the terrific staff at Founders Entertainment provided our middle school youth with an insider’s look at various career opportunities in the music industry. In addition, the event allows Union Settlement to reach out to young people to promote our services and work in the East Harlem community.”

“We are extremely grateful to the Governors Ball team for giving us this opportunity to support the families of our fallen heroes. They have shown once again that New York Takes Care Of Its Own,” said Arielle Lenza Di Ciollo, Director of Development at the New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund. “We hope that the thousands of attendees will take some time in between the all-star performances to stop by and charge their cell phones at our tent. After all, you can’t ‘Answer the Call’ without a working phone.”

“This year, Governors Ball is a real testament to public and private partnerships,” says PJ Brice, CEO of Cheeky, the paper plate company committed to ending hunger. Cheeky is supplying the festival with plates and cups and helping bring awareness to the issue of food insecurity in New York City and throughout the U.S. through an interactive art installation. “Governors Ball is a good time that does a ton of good for the community.”

Follow these links for information on the music, food, and transportation at Governors Ball.

About Governors Ball

Founded by three New Yorkers and still New York City’s only homegrown music festival, Governors Ball is poised to celebrate its fifth year with the June 5-7 concert. In addition to this year’s effort to combat hunger and food instability, Governors Ball has also made significant investments in East Harlem businesses and job-placement services for local residents. Past Governors Ball community investments have included significant financial contributions to the New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund, and to the charitable Mayor’s Fund to Advance NYC in the wake of last year’s explosion in East Harlem. Governors Ball has also partnered with New York City social service organizations to raise awareness of their efforts to house, feed and clothe some of New York’s most vulnerable communities.

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