One bus, 25 causes, 750 volunteers and 9,880 miles.
Foster the People is living up to their name during their 2011 tour as they collaborate with the Do Good Bus.
The Do Good Bus was founded by Rebecca Pontius, sister to drummer Mark Pontius, and Stephen Snedden in Los Angeles. The organization is like a community service adventure on wheels, as the bus is filled with 25 to 30 people who are taken on a mystery volunteer project. The program that has operated in L.A. for the last year is now joining Foster the People on their 25-city tour and will recruit fans in each city to take a seat on the bus.
Foster the People will be playing a sold-out show at the Lifestyle Communities Pavilion on Sunday at 8 p.m. The Do Good Bus will be leaving at 12:15 p.m. on Sunday, and while most seats are full, CD101 will be having a contest to give away eight seats.
One can get a seat on the bus by signing up online and answering one simple question: “What is community?” The bus full of volunteers and strangers are then taken to participate in a community service project that could be anything from working at a food bank to mentoring in an elementary school or gardening. In order to pull off this tour, the Do Good Bus raised more than $100,000 to take the bus across the country. Funds were raised through donations and concerts featuring Foster the People. Many donations were reward-retrieved, where one might receive an autographed CD by the band for $60. Anyone who donated at least $5 is featured in a picture in the back of the bus.
Snedden and Rebecca Pontius began the Do Good Bus last year after a birthday party that took place on a party bus.
“We realized how great it was that everyone on the bus has that instinct of being together,” Pontius said.
So they applied the concept to volunteering, as they were both active in community service, Pontius said.
The Do Good Bus strives to raise awareness about community service and encourage giving back.
“It’s a way to learn about how to give back to their community,” Pontius said. “And be inspired by what giving back is, especially locally.”
The band became involved through Mark Pontius’ collaboration with his sister’s program. The band plays an active role in the bus’ work in each city.
“They try to get involved when they can,” Rebecca Pontius said. “They usually come and thank all the volunteers in a meet-and-greet.”
Encouraging a connection with the community is another large part of what the Do Good Bus hopes to achieve.
“We’re putting like-minded people together and putting them in one place,” Rebecca Pontius said. “Inspiring and encouraging people to continually give back.”
