Jam For Good Announces Buck-A-Seat Program To Support Children Facing Cancer

Although May just started, nonprofit Jam For Good has September on its mind. The Colorado-based organization has announced the “Buck-A-Seat” program, encouraging live music industry professionals to pledge $1 per ticket sold at one or more shows taking place in September in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

Jam For Good is calling on “all managers, artists, agents, venues, promoters and festival teams” – and notes that with many September shows still being finalized, this is the perfect time to make a plan to participate.

The nonprofit will provide each participant with a direct donation link that will make it simple to contribute and track the impact. All of the funds raised will “go directly to the nearest children’s hospital’s cancer center, supporting children facing cancer, their families, and pediatric cancer research in that community,” according to this week’s announcement.

“With Jam For Good’s announcement of the Buck-a-Seat program, I’m reminded of the shared ambition that we all have to be a part of something bigger than ourselves,” Bill Mell, founder and executive director of Jam For Good, said in a statement. “For the month of September, we have an opportunity to rally the entire live music industry to support kids with cancer right in your own backyard. The power of music can unite a community, and through this program we’ll be helping those local families that need it most.”

Last month Mell spoke at Pollstar Live! as part of the panel “Don’t Retire…Rewire. Pivoting from One Successful Career to Another.” Mell spent 24 years working in the software consulting industry in a variety of sales and management roles including CEO/Owner of Rapid Technologies. After his company was acquired in 2021 by Synoptek, he remained there until he departed in February. Now he’s focused on his nonprofit he founded, Jam For Good, which has a mission “to support kids with cancer, their families and children’s hospitals through the power of live music.” Mell serves as Executive Director of Jam For Good.

During the panel Mell pointed out how cancer has probably affected everyone in the room in some capacity and shared that one of his best friends lost his daughter to cancer. “Since then,” Mell said, “It’s been a priority in reframing my career. … How do we give back in this industry?”

Visit https://www.jamforgood.org/buckaseat for more information.