Look To The Stars News: All At Once Campaign

Jack Johnson Energizes The Village Green In Germany

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:30:00 -0000

Look to the Stars co-founder Myrlia volunteered with Jack Johnson’s All At Once Campaign at his recent concert in Munich, Germany.

At the age of 17, professional surfer Jack Johnson had an accident which left him hospitalized, and gave him the time he needed to discover that music is where his heart lies. While recovering, Jack wrote songs and played his guitar, and since 2001 has released five albums and built up a huge fan base all around the world. The ocean definitely has a hold on him, though, and in Jack’s relaxed yet energizing music you can almost hear the sound of the cool waves caressing the golden sands of Hawaii.

With his surfing past, Jack and his wife, Kim, find it natural to work at educating people about the environment. At each one of his concerts, a “Village Green” is set up, and here a booth for Jack’s All At Once Campaign is manned by volunteers who share the same passion for this cause. Several local charities are invited to set up tables in the Village Green, and help concert-goers learn how they can make a difference close to home.

Davis Eckard, who organizes the volunteers for Jack’s concerts, says that Jack and Kim are the driving force behind the All At Once Campaign and the Village Green, and that their enthusiasm for protecting the planet is why Jack spends so much time on the road.

“[The Village Green] is why we are all here today. If it weren’t for this, for you, Jack wouldn’t be touring,” Davis told the volunteers before the show. “Without you, this doesn’t happen.”

Helpers car-pooled, took trains, cycled and walked in from all over Germany for this event, with one large volunteer contingent even coming over from Slovenia.

Dennis, a local volunteer, told me, “First of all, I love the music. It’s a good chance to combine music with doing something sustainable.”

I spoke with New Orleans resident, Mary, and her sons, who were in the area on vacation. Mary signed them all up as volunteers as a surprise.

“We come from New Orleans, and we’ve had many volunteers come through. I thought it would be neat to see how we can help give back,” Mary explained.

Her son Mark added, “I think this is an important cause, because if we don’t start now, what are we leaving for our kids?”

Introducing kids to nature is exactly what one of the local charities, NaturSchutz Jugend (“Conservation Youth”), is doing. NaJu is the biggest environment organization for young people in Germany, focusing on environmental education and nature conservation. They help children experience nature through games and adventures at parks, rivers and in nearby forests.

Another charity in attendance was Munich’s Green City. With more than 40 highly-active volunteers, this group works to improve the city’s quality of life through ecological urban planning.

The Surfrider Foundation was also on hand to let Jack’s fans know about their Rise Above Plastics campaign. They are urging people to reduce the use of plastics, illustrating the problem using the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch”—an area twice the size of the continental US which is filled with 100 million tons of plastic.

Jack greeted the volunteers personally before the doors opened, and spent time talking to each of the charities’ representatives. He ignored the urging of his crew to hurry backstage so the doors could open, and instead graciously listened to the volunteers, posed for pictures, smiled and thanked everyone for taking the time to be there.

Once he was backstage, the fans came pouring in, eager to get as close to the stage as possible. It was time for the All At Once volunteers to get to work, handing out Village Green Passports. The booklets explain what the campaign is, and give fans access to downloadable music and the chance to win prizes – such as a skateboard – only available to win at Jack’s concerts, or the opportunity to watch Jack’s performance from the stage.

Volunteers enjoyed tunes played by G Love and Special Sauce and mingled with the crowd, sharing stories about Jack’s music and the environment. Veronika, one of the volunteers, said she wanted to meet new people, see Jack Johnson and help protect the environment, and she was easily able to do all three things that sunny afternoon.

Sadly, however, the weather didn’t stay nice, and about four songs into Jack’s set it began to rain. But the downpour did nothing to dampen the crowd’s spirits, with the music and cheering drowning out the storm’s thunder.

Jack will be back on the other side of the Atlantic starting in August, with concerts scheduled across Canada and the US until the end of the month. For more information about how you can volunteer, visit the All At Once Community.

Jack Johnson Wants You

Mon, 19 May 2008 10:55:37 -0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Singer Jack Johnson is looking for volunteers to help out at his upcoming concerts around the world. The Hawaiian-born eco-activist wants to reach out to audience members and let them know how they can help change the world through the All At Once Campaign.

Volunteers will need to arrive 90 minutes prior to the shows, and help set up the All At Once Village Green area. They will learn about the campaign, and tell other concert-goers how they can get involved. In return, volunteers will receive an official Jack Johnson All At Once volunteer t-shirt, and green gifts including an exclusive Jack Johnson tour tote bag and SIGG reusable water bottle.

The All At Once Campaign is a social action network where people can discuss issues and events, explore non-profit groups, and take action to make positive change in local and world communities. For more information on how you can help Jack’s tour and his All At Once Campaign, visit www.jackjohnsonmusic.com/.

Jack Johnson - All At Once

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 04:21:49 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

The idea is simple: An individual action, multiplied by millions, creates global change. And it is a concept singer Jack Johnson intends to support throughout his current world tour. Not only is he greening every aspect of every show, he is also collaborating with a host of non-profit organizations around the world on a new interactive network to inspire music fans to create postive change.

The All At Once Campaign is a new social action network that operates both online and at Johnson’s shows, and plans to provide a much needed bridge between fans and the organizations that work to make the world a better and more livable place. It provides a focal point where people can gather and connect, where they can discuss the issues that affect them, learn about the non-profit groups that can help them, and find inspiration to take action in a world filled with hurdles and cynicism.

Jack Johnson is currently touring Japan, and has just finished taking his Sleep Through The Static album on the road in New Zealand and Australia. For every step on the 45+ date tour, Johnson has insisted on keeping the shows’ environmental impact as low as possible, something he believes works in well with the “All At Once” concept. Initiatives include reducing waste by encouraging venues to use biodegradable food service items, the use of biodiesel to fuel tour vehicles and generators, the sale of eco-friendly tour merchandise, and the use of 100% recycled paper and soy-based ink products.

Johnson also employs stringent policies that demand that venues provide recycling services, and where possible he and his crew only stay in hotels that participate in water and energy efficiancy programs. He also encourages fans to use public transport and carpooling to get to the shows.

And to prove that these initiatives are real and not just pie-in-the-sky publicity hunting, the environmental impact of the tour will be tracked to demonstrate how collective action can result in significant change. A report detailing the results will be available at www.jackjohnsonmusic.com at the conclusion of the tour.

As part of the All At Once Campaign, every concert will include an area called the “Village Green”, a collection of interactive booths where fans can get inspired to do something good for the planet, and to talk face-to-face with local, national, and international non-profit groups that work in the areas of climate change, water quality, land preservation, and more.

But perhaps the most exciting initiative is that Jack Johnson has pledged to match all donations made by fans to the local All At Once non-profit groups in every community (up to $2,500 per charity).

To participate in this inspiring idea, visit www.allatonce.org

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Jack Johnson Energizes The Village Green In Germany

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