Emergence of Boost Mobile Rock Corps
US Youth Volunteer Organization Seen as Global Incentive
Boost Mobile Rock Corps (BMRC) was created by two separate entities headed up by Stephen Greene (Rock Corps) and Daryl Butler (Boost Mobile) in 2005. Butler, head of Strategic Alliances at the mobile phone company that provides service to over four million customers saw unlimited benefits of merging with an organization such as Rock Corps.
The tag line for Boost Mobile, Where You At?, has a variety of different meanings which such a union as this exemplified. “There are a lot more dimensions to that tagline that we are trying to manifest,” explained Butler. “It is not just about the geographical aspect.” Hence the emergence of one of today's fastest growing charitable organizations.
Understanding the importance of community activism and how young people want to make a difference in their home- towns and cities, Stephen Greene along with founding member, famed videographer Chris Robinson, made the 13-24 demographic their main focus. Looking to get these kids involved in rebuilding their communities Rock Corps based itself around the blueprint of another charity called GreenBucks. GreenBucks encouraged people in Colorado to clean up areas of various towns and cities and in return they would receive free concert tickets.
How BMRC works
BMRC is a volunteer based organization that enlists the involvement of volunteers in various cities throughout the US and now in England. Each individual has to give four hours of their time to work at cleaning up their communities. Once the fours hours have been recorded a ticket will then be issued to the volunteer to see a concert that is especially organized for those who give up valuable hours of their free time.
Volunteers have discussed how the actual cleaning up of communities has now overshadowed the free concert. “When you see what a difference it makes to an area, just us collecting garbage, it makes you think a bit more,” explained two-time volunteer Ryan Sherman. It is expected that a workforce of 20,000 will clock approximately 80,000 hours in 2008.
BMRC helps over 130 different charities and works on approx 200 different community projects, including the cleaning up of Coney Island beach, NY and Roger Jessup Park in CA.
The Concerts
Since the first concert in 2005 the acts that have performed for the thousands of volunteers have been nothing but the best in the business. Ludacris, Beyonce, Korn, Robin Thicke, Game, Lil Wayne, Eve, Busta Rhymes have all entertained the volunteers at shows in some of the America’s most coveted venues.
The Future
With the first event happening outside of the US in London last week, Stephen Greene saw another of his dreams come to life. When his organization linked with Orange, a cell phone provider in the UK, the kids who gave up the hours were entertained in the Royal Albert Hall by Busta Rhymes and Ludacris. This event that Greene had hoped would eventually come to fruition enabling the organization global recognition.
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