November 29, 2011
Rise Up Hawaii is dedicated to making a difference in the world by spreading awareness and inspiring communities to institute global change. It utilizes the talents of local artists as a creative way to fundraise for nonprofit organizations.
“We are a grassroots movement that emerged with a mission to educate and promote positive activism within our communities through the use of our creative talents,” according to their website.
The goal of Rise Up Hawaii is “to team up with nonprofit organizations and help them raise money,” said Joel Gaspar, founder of Rise Up Hawaii. “We’re pretty much like a crutch to help them out.”
“We try to teach people not to wait for the world to change but to actually get up and do something,” Gaspar said.
Rise Up Hawaii started in 2010 when the earthquake rocked Haiti. Gaspar used to help put concerts together for Invisible Children, an organization that brings awareness to the conflict in Uganda and desires to stop the abduction of children for use as child soldiers. Friends came to him wanting to put together a benefit concert for Haiti. In March 2010, Gaspar helped organize Rise Up for Haiti, a collaboration with the American Red Cross, at SoHo Mixed Media Bar in Chinatown. It featured 30 musicians and raised approximately $3,000. With the success of this event, Rise Up Hawaii could not stop there.
“It was supposed to be a one time thing but it got so big and lots of people wanted to be involved that it turned into a movement,” Gaspar said.
Since its establishment in 2010, RUH has put on five benefit events for various causes and teamed up with six nonprofit organizations on the local, national and international level.
In May 2010 it hosted another benefit concert, Rise Up Against Animal Cruelty, in collaboration with the Hawaiian Humane Society and the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. They featured acoustic sets, slam poetry, hip-hop freestyle battles, food and drinks at Tropics Café. It raised $650 for the Hawaiian Humane Society.
To end 2010, RUH took a new approach. Instead of teaming up with a nonprofit organization, it took the money directly to the cause. In November 2010, RUH hosted a benefit concert for Hawaii’s homeless at Fresh Café, their largest event so far. All proceeds from this event went to a special project called “Project Care Package,” where bags containing first aid kits, flash lights, blankets, hygiene items and canned foods were put together and distributed to Hawaii’s homeless. Along with the benefit concert, it also featured a special screening of “Blue Tarp City” directed by Henry Mochida and had special guest, Representative Tom Brower, who talked about HC114, a bill that RUH tried to pass into legislature.
In May 2011, RUH teamed up with the American Red Cross again to put on Rise Up for Japan in a much more intimate setting at Blue Ocean Thai. With six performers and three artists showcasing their work, RUH raised about $150 in donations that all went to help with relief efforts in Japan.
More recently, RUH collaborated with Sunday Jams, an organization housed in Hawaiian Brian’s that provides a comfortable environment for people to develop their musical talents. It holds open mic nights every Sunday and occasional band nights. Together, Sunday Jams and RUH teamed up to help raise funds for Charity:Water, a nonprofit organization bringing clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations. In November 2011 it held a hip-hop night at Ka Lounge featuring more than eight musicians and DJs to help raise awareness and funds for Charity:Water.
“It brought a sense of humanity that I feel like Sunday Jams is very much a part of,” said Duane Fukumoto, co-director of Sunday Jams.
The goal is to raise $5,000 to help build a water well for an impoverished village in Africa. One water well will supply 250 people with clean water for life. Between August and November more than $2,000 has been raised to support this cause.
“It’s a life-changing thing,” Gaspar said. “When we think numbers, it’s a lot, but we could actually make a huge difference.”
RUH desires to educate young people and inspire them to make a difference.
“I've had the honor of performing at several of Rise Up's charity events, and I have to say, they are a great bunch to work with,” said Amanda Frazier, a musician who performed at Rise Up for Japan. “Their events not only bring a wide range of people together to raise money for charity, but they are able to raise awareness to the local community about situations happening all around the world.”
Rise Up Hawaii has gained supporters through their partnerships with organizations like Sunday Jams and Innovative Concepts, a church that meets in Hawaiian Brian’s and sponsors Sunday Jams. One supporter, MJ Rodriguez made herself available to help.
“I think when you look at it, there’s 46 total people but the people who actually put it on is a small group of about 8 or 10 people,” Rodriguez said. “A small group with big ambitions… Their passion is contagious.”
Recent graduate of University of Hawaii at Manoa and co-director of Sunday Jams, Chaz Umamoto, was on the RUH committee and thought it was important to partner with other local organizations for a good cause.
“Being a musician myself, I played in a band with gigs every other week and it gets tiring,” Umamoto said. “But when you’re playing for causes like Haiti or Japan it makes you feel good about yourself. It takes the focus off yourself and onto something bigger.”
Through all the benefit concerts, Rise Up Hawaii has made an impact locally, nationally and internationally. Its efforts to change the world have impacted Hawaii by bringing awareness to many of its people. Follow their efforts at www.riseuphawaii.org.
Rise Up Hawaii is dedicated to making a difference in the world by spreading awareness and inspiring communities to institute global change. It utilizes the talents of local artists as a creative way to fundraise for nonprofit organizations.
“We are a grassroots movement that emerged with a mission to educate and promote positive activism within our communities through the use of our creative talents,” according to their website.
The goal of Rise Up Hawaii is “to team up with nonprofit organizations and help them raise money,” said Joel Gaspar, founder of Rise Up Hawaii. “We’re pretty much like a crutch to help them out.”
“We try to teach people not to wait for the world to change but to actually get up and do something,” Gaspar said.
Rise Up Hawaii started in 2010 when the earthquake rocked Haiti. Gaspar used to help put concerts together for Invisible Children, an organization that brings awareness to the conflict in Uganda and desires to stop the abduction of children for use as child soldiers. Friends came to him wanting to put together a benefit concert for Haiti. In March 2010, Gaspar helped organize Rise Up for Haiti, a collaboration with the American Red Cross, at SoHo Mixed Media Bar in Chinatown. It featured 30 musicians and raised approximately $3,000. With the success of this event, Rise Up Hawaii could not stop there.
“It was supposed to be a one time thing but it got so big and lots of people wanted to be involved that it turned into a movement,” Gaspar said.
Since its establishment in 2010, RUH has put on five benefit events for various causes and teamed up with six nonprofit organizations on the local, national and international level.
In May 2010 it hosted another benefit concert, Rise Up Against Animal Cruelty, in collaboration with the Hawaiian Humane Society and the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. They featured acoustic sets, slam poetry, hip-hop freestyle battles, food and drinks at Tropics Café. It raised $650 for the Hawaiian Humane Society.
To end 2010, RUH took a new approach. Instead of teaming up with a nonprofit organization, it took the money directly to the cause. In November 2010, RUH hosted a benefit concert for Hawaii’s homeless at Fresh Café, their largest event so far. All proceeds from this event went to a special project called “Project Care Package,” where bags containing first aid kits, flash lights, blankets, hygiene items and canned foods were put together and distributed to Hawaii’s homeless. Along with the benefit concert, it also featured a special screening of “Blue Tarp City” directed by Henry Mochida and had special guest, Representative Tom Brower, who talked about HC114, a bill that RUH tried to pass into legislature.
In May 2011, RUH teamed up with the American Red Cross again to put on Rise Up for Japan in a much more intimate setting at Blue Ocean Thai. With six performers and three artists showcasing their work, RUH raised about $150 in donations that all went to help with relief efforts in Japan.
More recently, RUH collaborated with Sunday Jams, an organization housed in Hawaiian Brian’s that provides a comfortable environment for people to develop their musical talents. It holds open mic nights every Sunday and occasional band nights. Together, Sunday Jams and RUH teamed up to help raise funds for Charity:Water, a nonprofit organization bringing clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations. In November 2011 it held a hip-hop night at Ka Lounge featuring more than eight musicians and DJs to help raise awareness and funds for Charity:Water.
“It brought a sense of humanity that I feel like Sunday Jams is very much a part of,” said Duane Fukumoto, co-director of Sunday Jams.
The goal is to raise $5,000 to help build a water well for an impoverished village in Africa. One water well will supply 250 people with clean water for life. Between August and November more than $2,000 has been raised to support this cause.
“It’s a life-changing thing,” Gaspar said. “When we think numbers, it’s a lot, but we could actually make a huge difference.”
RUH desires to educate young people and inspire them to make a difference.
“I've had the honor of performing at several of Rise Up's charity events, and I have to say, they are a great bunch to work with,” said Amanda Frazier, a musician who performed at Rise Up for Japan. “Their events not only bring a wide range of people together to raise money for charity, but they are able to raise awareness to the local community about situations happening all around the world.”
Rise Up Hawaii has gained supporters through their partnerships with organizations like Sunday Jams and Innovative Concepts, a church that meets in Hawaiian Brian’s and sponsors Sunday Jams. One supporter, MJ Rodriguez made herself available to help.
“I think when you look at it, there’s 46 total people but the people who actually put it on is a small group of about 8 or 10 people,” Rodriguez said. “A small group with big ambitions… Their passion is contagious.”
Recent graduate of University of Hawaii at Manoa and co-director of Sunday Jams, Chaz Umamoto, was on the RUH committee and thought it was important to partner with other local organizations for a good cause.
“Being a musician myself, I played in a band with gigs every other week and it gets tiring,” Umamoto said. “But when you’re playing for causes like Haiti or Japan it makes you feel good about yourself. It takes the focus off yourself and onto something bigger.”
Through all the benefit concerts, Rise Up Hawaii has made an impact locally, nationally and internationally. Its efforts to change the world have impacted Hawaii by bringing awareness to many of its people. Follow their efforts at www.riseuphawaii.org.
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