Rockin’ for a good causee

The event was Rock for the Environment and it happened at Café Campus in downtown Montreal on June 20. A combination of great Montreal talent performed in front of a huge screen displaying An Inconvenient Truth throughout the evening. The concert featured the local bands TIP, ICM featuring 2nd thought and Memo, Paul Edwards, Shot While Hunting, Acrobat and JP Houston who came together in combination with environmentalists, rock and roll fans and local lemons to raise money for Équiterre.

“I first heard about RFTE from a musician friend of mine, Evan Rosenthall. My band and I always try to find time to support various causes throughout the year, so when I was offered the chance to participate in this event to help promote positive Environmental changes, I immediately jumped on board,” said performer Paul Edwards.

Équiterre is an environmental sustainable organization that works towards reversing the footprints we have left on our earth, ozone and water. The organization was started in 1993 by a group of young individuals.

“Équiterre focuses on promoting social justice and a clean environment. The word that would best describe our organization is constructive. We are looking for solutions rather than just pointing out a problem,” said Genevieve Prevost, Équiterre’s fundraiser advisor.

Équiterre is involved in four programs that try to solve all aspects of environment damage including ecological agriculture, Fair trade, energy efficiency and sustainable transportation.

The idea for Rock for the Environment came from Lauren Lobley, Équiterre’s community leader at Fairview Pointe Claire shopping centre: “I went to see David Suzuki speak a couple of months ago and I was moved, to say the least. I went to a rock show at Café Campus immediately following Mr. Suzuki’s speech, and I had a vision! I was so inspired by what David Suzuki said that I wanted everyone to hear it, so why not do it with a rock show? I don’t consider myself to be an environmentalist. I drive a car (and in fact have three of them in my driveway) but after I went to see David Suzuki speak, I knew I had to and could do something.”

The event was organized by the Montreal Lululemon athletica stores including Fairview, St. Catherine Street, St. Denis Street and Greene Avenue locations.

When all is tallied up, the proceeds from Rock for the Environment will go to Équiterre.

Not only was this a concert, it was a coming together of the 20-something generation for a cause, with free pizza and prize giveaways including yoga mats and water bottles à la Lululemon style!

“I came out here to tonight to support a Québec organization and to help save our environment,” said Kayla Giacomodonato, an educator from Lululemon athletica at Fairview Pointe Claire.

All in all, the event was a huge success and the future will prove to hold even bigger and better venues. “We want to do more events like this, but not necessarily concerts. I don’t know what the next event will be, but I know I will feel passionate about it, and believe in its message with all of my heart,” Lobley said.

For more information, check www.equiterre.org.