The 10th Annual National Life Group Do Good Fest® hosts 6,500, raises $110,000 for cancer patients and youth mental health

Montpelier, VT - (July 19, 2024) The National Life Group Do Good Fest® hosted 6,500 people on its back lawn on Saturday, July 13, raising a total of over $110,000 for Branches of Hope, the cancer patient fund at Central Vermont Medical Center’s (CVMC) National Life Cancer Treatment Center and youth mental health programs at Howard Center.

In its 10th anniversary and born out of the company’s “Do good, Be good and Make good” values, the National Life Group Do Good Fest has brought national acts to the back lawn of its Montpelier campus every year since 2014 (except two pandemic years) in support of Branches of Hope. This year, Howard Center, which has been supporting youth since the Civil War, was added as a recipient in alignment with National Life’s corporate cause of supporting youth mental health.

Donations were raised through a ticket reservation fee structure starting at $5 for General Admission and $200 for the VIP Experience. National Life Group Chairman, President and CEO Mehran Assadi took the stage in between acts along with Branches of Hope’s Kara Dudman, Oncology Patient Navigator at CVMC, and Howard Center’s Senior Donor Relations Director Karen Prosciak. Assadi presented Dudman and Prosciak with a ceremonial check made out to both organizations in the amount of $110,000, which will be split between the two.

“We are incredibly excited to support two outstanding organizations through Do Good Fest,” Assadi said. “It is an honor to host an event that not only celebrates our vibrant community but also raises crucial funds for such important causes. We are passionate about spreading awareness of the needs of cancer patients and their families, and the vital importance of youth mental health programs. Each year we showcase local organizations in our Nonprofit Village doing remarkable and much needed work—this year 23 inspiring groups joined us. It was a fun and purposeful day for everyone involved!”

Festival goers hailed from 37 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces, hailing from such far-flung locales as Ottawa, Ontario, and San Jose, California, to spend the day enjoying performances from multi-platinum artists Fitz and the Tantrums, fan favorite Rachel Platten along with ‘90s rockers Dishwalla, Boston-based Couch, and Beats for Good high school musician contest winner The Radiance.

In addition to the music, Do Good Fest offered 22 food trucks, a beer garden featuring Lawson’s Finest’s exclusive Do Good Brew Hazy Orange IPA, an exclusive sold-out VIP lounge, and a Nonprofit Village where festival attendees perused tables of 23 organizations promoting local causes. Dunkin’ gave away $5 gift cards to the first 5,000 people through the gates. The event was capped with the Fest’s famous fireworks display.

Once again, National Life partnered with Star 92.9 as co-presenter of Do Good Fest and WCAX Channel 3, who broadcasted Do Good Fest throughout the day on the radio and on WCAX sister station WYCI.

Video of the livestream can be viewed along with links to Branches of Hope and Howard Center donation pages here: Do Good Fest.

Learn more here about National Life Group’s corporate philanthropy with programs that include LifeChanger of the Year, Do Good Heroes, a commitment to ending childhood hunger, social responsibility and supporting children’s mental health, among others.

Contact: Daphne Larkin, corporate communications, National Life Group, 802.229.3607.

National Life Group® is a trade name of National Life Insurance Company, founded in Montpelier, Vt., in 1848, Life Insurance Company of the Southwest, Addison, Texas, chartered in 1955, and their affiliates.  Each company of National Life Group is solely responsible for its own financial condition and contractual obligations.  Life Insurance Company of the Southwest is not an authorized insurer in New York and does not conduct insurance business in New York.