Platform One harnesses the power of music and entertainment to create positive social change in the community. We believe that artists and entertainers are uniquely empowered and positioned to influence the masses and create effective change for meaningful causes.
Platform One is extremely committed to continuing the development and delivery of amazing entertainment events to help benefit and bring meaningful awareness and fundraising to important causes and charities. Utilizing our extensive knowledge and relationships in the music industry and the world of non-profit, we produce major benefit events with today’s biggest artists.
Dare To Dream
Benefit Concert and Silent Auction
Featuring CYPRESS HILL at the House of Blues Chicago
July 25, 2008
On Friday, July 25th, 2008, Platform One Entertainment will host Dare To Dream at the House of Blues Chicago featuring
multi-platinum international act Cypress Hill that will raise funding and
major awareness for The Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness, a not-for-profit committed to
creating, supporting, and sustaining effective strategies to END
homelessness in Chicago.
Over the course of a year, between 2.3 and 3.5 million people experience
homelessness nationwide and approximately 166,000 people experience
homelessness in the Chicago Metropolitan area.
The Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness' vision is that all individuals and
families facing homelessness in Chicago must and will have access to safe,
decent, affordable housing with the resources and support needed to support
their home. The formation of The Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness and
the creation of the Chicago Plan to End Homelessness represent a paradigm
shift in the provision of homeless services from managing the problem of
homelessness with emergency shelters, soup kitchens and other temporary
assistance to ending homelessness through the provision of permanent housing
to those experiencing homelessness. There are now over 300 plans to end
homelessness in the U.S., but Chicago is the first major city in the country
with a plan endorsed by its mayor.
Of particular concern is Chicago's homeless youth. Chicago Public Schools
reported 3,600 homeless teens attended 8th through 12th grades in 2007, a
180 % increase in two years. Few homeless youth are housed in emergency
shelters due to a lack of shelter beds for youth and shelter admission
policies. Because of their age, Chicago's homeless youth have few legal
means by which they can earn enough money to meet basic needs. Many homeless
adolescents find that exchanging sex for food, clothing, and shelter is
their only chance of survival on the streets. In turn, Chicago's homeless
youth are at a greater risk of contracting AIDS or HIV-related illnesses.
Homeless adolescents often suffer from severe anxiety and depression, poor
health and nutrition, and low self-esteem. Furthermore, they face
difficulties attending school because of legal guardianship requirements,
residency requirements, improper records, and lack of transportation. As a
result, Chicago's homeless youth face severe challenges in obtaining an
education and supporting themselves emotionally and financially. Proceeds
from the event will directly benefit The Chicago Alliance to End
Homelessness' programs that pursue advocacy initiatives for homeless youth
at the state and federal level, work towards securing additional funding for
youth services, and help homeless youth find jobs & housing.
Multi-platinum hip-hop icons Cypress Hill are committed and will headline
this meaningful benefit event. Over the course of their 19-year history,
Cypress Hill has sold more than 20 million albums worldwide, including more
than 9 million records in the U.S. alone. The group has garnered 14
multi-platinum, platinum, and gold certifications, has appeared on notable
tours and shows such as Lollapalooza, Woodstock, Rock the Bells, and has
been featured on "Saturday Night Live," among other well-known commercial
shows, all the while breaking down the musical and cultural barriers between
hip-hop, alternative, metal, rock, reggae, ska and Latin music. To this day,
many of Cypress Hill's hits remain on active rotation and are a staple act
on the world's foremost hip-hop, rock and alternative radio stations. They
invite you to join them, The Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness and
Platform One Entertainment in the fight to get Chicago's homeless youth off
the streets and into housing.
This important event will also feature performances by popular and emerging
Chicago songwriters and artists. The event will also host a silent auction
where VIPs, fans & attendees will bid on many one-of-a-kind music, sports,
and entertainment merchandise and memorabilia.
If you’d like to help improve the lives of Chicago’s homeless youth, please e-mail Luke Tanen at Ltanen@platform-1.com to:
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"This event provides a great opportunity to highlight Chicago's Plan to End
Homelessness and programs for homeless youth. Working together we are
making real progress in helping people find a way out of homelessness and
preventing them from becoming homeless in the first place." - Mayor Richard
M. Daley
"We feel very honored to be teaming up with The Chicago Alliance to End
Homelessness and Platform One Entertainment to take part in such a great
cause. It is very sad that women, men, and even children don't have a roof
over their heads, and a warm bed to sleep in at night. It is an honor to be
part of such a great country that has given so much to us, so to have the
opportunity to give back is very important and special." - Cypress Hill
"This event is so important, because it delivers the message that
homelessness CAN be ended, for homeless youth and for the thousands of
people who are homeless in Chicago each year. What it takes is reaching the
public and the opinion makers, so that they make ending homelessness a
priority. Cypress Hill and Platform One Entertainment are making a major
contribution to the movement to end homelessness by raising awareness of the
problem and of the solutions. We thank them for their vision and for their
generous hearts." - Nancy Radner, CEO Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness
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Click here for your chance to open for Cypress Hill at the summer benefit event!
Lincoln Dealers presents...
Dare To Dream
Benefit Concert and Silent Auction
A Platform One Entertainment production
Featuring COMMON at the House of Blues Chicago
January 12, 2008
On January 12th, 2008, Lincoln presented the "Dare To Dream" benefit concert and silent auction, hosted by Platform One Entertainment, at House
of Blues that raised money and awareness for the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) & The Common Ground Foundation. Both
non-profit organizations are committed to improving the lives of Chicago’s youth through education and student enrichment programs.
Only a few years ago, the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) was ranked the worst in the nation, with just 6% of high school freshman going on to graduate
from college. Furthermore, of the 400,000 students in the CPS system, 85% of those students live under the poverty line. This is an unacceptable reality!
If today’s students cannot raise themselves up out of poverty, then the education system has failed them. NFTE, The Common Ground Foundation and
Platform-One Entertainment intend to partner in the fight to radically change the lives of Chicago area students.
NFTE has dramatically improved the lives of countless under-served youth by using a reality-based program to engage them in school, teach them about the market economy and help the students develop an entrepreneurial mindset. To date, NFTE has reached over 5,200 students in Chicago and over 150,000 world-wide and continues to provide inner-city students with the tools they need to succeed.
The Common Ground Foundation is dedicated to the empowerment and development of disadvantaged urban youth through education focusing on combating illiteracy and HIV/AIDS prevention. Money raised from this event will go directly to NFTE and Common Ground Foundation programs in Chicago’s Public School System.
Two-time Grammy Award Winner Common headlined the benefit concert. Born and raised in Chicago, Common has risen to prominence as one of hip-hop’s most prolific
artists and has recently added the job of actor to his resume with several major motion picture roles, including "American Gangster," and the upcoming
film “Wanted”, starring Angelina Jolie. Additionally, he’s written children’s books and his latest I Like You But I Love Me was recently nominated for an
NAACP Image Award. Fresh off his seventh album “Finding Forever”, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, Common continues to support the Chicago
community and serve as a role model to the children of the CPS.
The event also featured up-and-coming, Chicago indie rock band OFFICE, New York based rock and soul artist Reese, and Ken of East Coast Boogiemen,
as well as a silent auction where attendees bid on many one-of-a-kind music, sports, and entertainment merchandise and memorabilia.
"The Chicago Sun-Times is proud to support Platform One Entertainment,
Common, NFTE and the Common Ground Foundation. As the #1 source for local
news and information in Chicago, we are committed to supporting local
artists and the Chicago Public Schools as we all work together to help make
the dreams of local students come true." - Chicago Sun-Times
"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to play a role in this exciting
event and contribute to the mission of improving the future for many
Chicago area youth. Developing the skills needed to succeed requires a solid
education and the desire for lifelong learning. We commend Platform One
Entertaiment for organizing this event and impressing these values upon
those in attendance." - David Pauldine, President of Devry University
"Platform One Entertainment was kind enough to ask us to be part of the
performance at House of Blues. We happily agreed, as it's helping Chicago
area school children through two great non-profits (Common's own The Common
Ground Foundation and the National Foundation for Teaching
Entrepreneurship). Education reform for Chicago's kids is a very easy
charity to get behind, and being able to do that by playing a show with one
of Chicago's best known and most successful homegrown artists is really
exciting for us. Sometimes as an artist, it's easy to get wrapped up in your
own self-created world. Being able to use our art to assist other
organizations in creating positive change is an incredible experience in
itself." - OFFICE
"I just want to say I am honored to be a
part of such a wonderful event. Platform One Entertainment, NFTE & The
Common Ground Foundation are organizations committed to helping and
assisting the young people in our society. Thus, I am committed right along
side of them in their efforts to do so. Thank you for allowing me to share
my gifts with you. Love is life." - REESE
"The Dare to Dream event was a fantastic night! It was very special for us
to kick-off and introduce the Common Ground Foundation in Chicago. Thanks
again to everyone involved at Platform One, sponsors, donors and our Board
of Directors." - Common Ground Foundation Executive Director, Jodie Blum
"I am thrilled to be involved with this great event that Platform One
Entertainment has organized. By choosing NFTE & The Common Ground
Foundation, Platform One Entertainment has partnered with two great
organizations that are doing very important work in the Chicago Public
School System. 'Dare to Dream' should be a great night for the city of
Chicago and for Chicago's students." - Chicago Public Schools CEO, Arne
Duncan
"Seeing our students beam with excitement as they shook Common's hand or as
they danced the night away was incredibly rewarding. And being able to host
VIP's that we've been trying to get involved with the program was a huge
help. And then there's marketing and branding...many new pockets of people
are now aware of NFTE and our mission of teaching entrepreneurship. Again,
your hard work and generosity created such a spectacular evening. We can't
thank you enough." - Christine Poorman, Executive Director of NFTE Chicago
TITLE SPONSOR
PRESENTING SPONSORS
OFFICAL SPONSORS
Email all inquiries to:
ltanen@platform-1.com
jsodikoff@platform-1.com
