HomeFeaturesAZ Giving › M3F’s Record-Breaking Donation to Local Phoenix Charities
 
 
 

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The 16th year of M3F, Arizona’s 100-percent nonprofit music festival, shook up Downtown Phoenix on March 1-3 by shattering previous Festival records for attendance and charitable donations.

This year M3F raised $509,000 for local charities. Some of the highlighted charities include Phoenix Children’s Hospital (PCH) Music Therapy Program, Habitat for Humanity of Northern Arizona and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. These three charities were also on-site all weekend at M3F, educating festivalgoers on the importance of their causes.

Eric Wolverton, Executive Director, Habitat for Humanity of Northern Arizona said, “Habitat for Humanity is honored to be a recipient, for a second year, with funds raised at M3F. Our goal is to utilize the monies granted to build two roofs for Habitat homes being built in Flagstaff. Beyond the gift of funds, Habitat is humbled to have thousands of people willing to donate to nonprofits while having a great time with friends and family listening and dancing to live music. All the fun allows Habitat and other nonprofits to make impactful changes in families lives.”

Having donated over $2 Million to local charities since 2004, M3F is recognized as an important part of the Phoenix culture and development. M3F 2019 featured the Festival’s highest turnout in history, bringing more than 21,500 people to Downtown Phoenix during the three-day event. With more than 4,000 attendees from out-of-state, M3F is not only putting Downtown Phoenix on the map as a destination for festivalgoers, but is also helping to revitalize the Downtown area and its surrounding community.

During Festival weekend, Downtown Phoenix celebrated an increase in economic growth; with attendees enjoying their time in Downtown hotels, visiting local restaurants and bars, and utilizing public transportation while making their way to and from the Festival.

R.J. Price, Chief Marketing Officer, Downtown Phoenix Inc. said, “Downtown Phoenix has emerged as Arizona’s epicenter for live music due in large part to M3F making the decision six years ago to relocate their festival to Margaret T. Hance Park. We are incredibly proud to be a part of this constantly evolving, family friendly and 100 percent charitable event in the center of our growing downtown neighborhood.”

People came together from all over Arizona to show support for their hometown music festival. Four hundred volunteers from the community donated 2,680 hours of their time to work at the festival; pouring beer, checking IDs, putting on wristbands, handing out merch and performing many other tasks crucial to the festival’s success.

Each year, the Festival supports the Downtown music scene by bringing in internationally renowned acts, as well as local musicians, to perform. This year, 37 bands played the Festival; with a lineup featuring a diverse range of genres: Electronic, Indie, Roots and Jam Bands.

In addition to supporting Phoenix’s music scene, the Festival provided a place for 13 local food and beverage vendors, 31 marketplace vendors and supported 6 local artists. M3F’s food and drink vendors helped support the Festival’s mission to work towards a zero-waste event; serving their food and drinks in compostable or recyclable containers. This allowed M3F to divert 80% of their waste from landfill.

Save the date for M3F 2020: March 6-8, 2020 at Margaret T. Hance Park in Downtown Phoenix!