LOS ANGELES (Top40 Charts/ Epic Records) - When
Incubus formed The Make Yourself Foundation in 2003, the band had little forethought to just how influential and important it would become in their lives and the lives of others.
A versatile entity, The Make Yourself Foundation (MYF) is not limited to donating funds to just one organization, but to many charities - making the foundation as diverse and unique as the personalities behind it and the fans that support it. And make no mistake; it is the Incubus fans that support the foundation. From the first bootleg series of performances the band released in 2004, to the current VIP ticket and meet n' greet packages being auctioned off for this summers tour on eBay, the fans supported it in droves, and paid with not only their hearts - but wallets too. It's a fact not gone unnoticed by The Make Yourself Foundation head Jake Versluis, "The band's interaction plays second to the fans when it comes to the Foundation, as without them we would not have achieved our goals in such a short time. Of course, as the foundation has grown, so to have the list of benefactors; and that is a direct result of each and every member of Incubus playing a role."
Since its inception, The Make Yourself Foundation has raised over one million dollars for organizations doing charitable and philanthropic work. The Surfrider Foundation, The Painted Turtle, Roar Foundation - Shambala, Life Rolls On and Rock the Earth are all organizations that have benefited from The Make Yourself Foundation.
Lou Adler, the legendary rock producer and co-founder of The Painted Turtle camp in Lake Hughes, California, for kids and teens with serious illnesses, says, "We can only wish we had more friends like Incubus. They have been absolutely phenomenal with their support of our cause."
Josh Billauer of Life Rolls On, a non-profit grassroots advocacy group on behalf of young people whose lives have been affected by spinal cord injury, says, "Incubus and MYF have been great friends of Life Rolls On, and their support has been instrumental to our success. The guys also show up at most of our events and the added exposure has been tremendous!"
Says Versluis, "even when the band is on hiatus, the guys are hard at work on the foundation." Most recently, in March 2009, the Foundation made its latest round of donations of monies (between 5 and 10K per organization). The list of recent benefactors includes: The Cheshire Project, Urban Farming, Calithumpian, The Center For Biological Diversity and the Silverlake Music Conservatory.
At the moment, MYF is poised to take a central role again as Incubus begins a very busy summer. First, the band releases "Monuments and Melodies," a greatest hits package on June 16, 2009. Then they take to the road for a tour that will officially kick off July 9th at the Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre in San Diego, CA. The summer-long trek will cover 31 major cities across the U.S. and Canada, including dates at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and two nights at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. In anticipation of the tour The Make Yourself Foundation launched its current VIP Package with 100% of the proceeds to benefit the Foundation.
Currently, MYF has divided the itinerary into three separate eBay auctions. Show dates from July 9 through July 23 are currently up for auction from June 1-8. Performances from July 25 through August 8 are covered by the June 8-15 auction, and the auctions for the August 9-25 concerts will be accessible from June 15-22. In total, the VIP packages are available for all 31 dates. The packages include two premium seats or pit tickets, backstage access for two, a photo opportunity for up to ten people per group, and other special auction merchandise. To bid and take part in what is surely to be one of the summer's musical highlights, go to: www.ebay.com/incubus.
The Make Yourself Foundation is a registered 501 � (3) non-profit organization that funds various causes and charities both locally and around the world that are important to Incubus. Visit the Foundation at: www.makeyourselffoundation.org
For a complete list of tour dates, and additional information on Incubus please visit: www.enjoyincubus.com.
