Thousands Unite for Music, Activism at Soulfest

By Sarah Earle

oger Proulx’s sentences are clipped and crackly with cell phone interference as he hurries through Gunstock Mountain Resort in Gilford making last-minute preparations for Soulfest 2008. His two- way radios whine with garbled requests as he talks, and he occasionally interrupts his own train of thought:

“Oh look, they put it up anyway,” he says, cutting short a description of the massive musical event to stare at a banner with a misspelled word. “Oh well. It’s all good.”

With just hours to go before the carloads of families and teens start rolling in from all over the Northeast, Proulx is trying to coordinate 90 different vendors and work with hundreds of staff members and volunteers to make sure all five musical stages are set up and ready to go. More than 10,000 man hours have been logged in the months leading up to the event, and another 10,000 will go into the on-site preparations this week.

“It’s all good,” Proulx says, and he’s not just thinking of the 10,000 people who will gather on the hill facing the huge main stage to sway to the sounds of Christian rock groups like Jars of Clay, TobyMac, Kutless and Rebecca St. James.

Part of Soulfest’s mission, of course, is to nurture souls, to foster camaraderie among people of faith and invigorate them with Christian music, workshops and resources.

But that’s only part of it. The event was also conceived in response to the AIDS pandemic and the alarming attitude among churchgoers that the disease was God’s judgment upon sinners. The organizers, one an executive with a Christian music distributor, decided to create an event where people could both receive spiritual sustenance and put their faith to action.

“Soulfest is all about loving and caring for one another,” said Proulx, vice president of marketing for the organization, which has headquarters in Merrimac, Mass. “There’s something greater than us outside of ourselves . . . Life is more abundant in giving than receiving.”

Soulfest raises between $30,000 and $40,000 each year to donate to local, national and global organizations ranging from the New Hampshire Foodbank to Child Voice International, a charity that works with young victims of war in countries like Uganda. The event also opens young people’s eyes to the plight of people suffering around the world and inspires many of them to volunteer with charitable organizations.

Just a week after Soulfest wraps up, Proulx is leaving for his second trip to Uganda, where he’ll work with young war victims, many of whom were raped by soldiers and now are raising children on their own. Some

had to kill their own parents to be spared torture and death.

“Being involved in something like that . . . it’s really changed the way I look at life,” Proulx said.

This year Soulfest is also attempting to adopt an entire village in Mozambique, providing every one of the children with things like clean water, health care, clothing, food and education. Last year, more than 500 children were sponsored, and this year the organization hopes to recruit sponsors for the remaining 800.

There is also a lighter side to the four-day event, which is expected to draw more than 13,000 people this year. Guests can visit vendor booths such as Faithfreaks, a Christian social networking website, browse an art gallery featuring thought-provoking works by Christian artists and take part in activities like kayaking, hiking, volleyball and horseback riding.

About 7,000 people camp on-site each night, and thousands gather for hearty meals like meatloaf and mashed potatoes and chicken broccoli alfredo.

Soulfest also offers numerous workshops and seminars, and, of course, a jam-packed concert schedule.

This year’s artists include the Newboys, Third Day, Pillar, Fly Leaf, Skillet, Barlow Girl, KJ-52 and numerous others.

While the vast majority of attendees are people of faith, the event is open to anyone, and organizers attempt to provide quality music and activities that everyone can enjoy. “We try to be inclusive in our approach,” Proulx said. “When people come here we’re not trying to convert them . . . but we will challenge and stretch them.”

(Soulfest runs today through Sunday at Gunstock Mountain Resort in Gilford. Single day passes are $45-$50 for adults and $30 for children ages 6-11. Multi-day passes are $140 for adults and $70 for children. Family and group discounts are available. For more information call 978-346-4577 or visit thesoulfest.com)

Originally published by Sarah Earle Monitor staff.

(c) 2008 Concord Monitor. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.