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One year ago thanks to Twiddle, we were embarking on our first Giving Tour. Buoyed by $1 per ticket and boxes of Frankenfoote coloring books we set out to support afterschool programs in every city Twiddle’s winter tour took them. We thought we were doing good. And we were. But we weren’t doing enough.

As Covid-19 started to suffocate the live music industry we did fundraisers and donated thousands of dollars to help artists and crew members. We thought we were doing good. And we were. But we weren’t doing enough.

We hosted White Light Wednesday’s and with the help of amazing performers, sponsors and Frends donated approximately $30,000 to food pantries in states hit hard by Covid-19. We thought we were doing good. And we were. But we weren’t doing enough.

When George Floyd was murdered was knew weren’t doing enough. But, we also didn’t know what to do.

These past months have been an incredible journey for WLF and we are grateful to the many Frends who helped us along the way. First, for helping us understand the impacts of systemic racism and then to drive our giving.

We struggled. How do we best acknowledge our own ignorance and understand the root causes of systemic racism? How do we balance the urgency of the moment and stay true to our mission?

But, if 2020 taught us anything, it taught us that on the subjects of criminal and health justice, we have a long way to go to eliminate racial inequity.

Through conversations with the band and Frends it also became clear, whatever we do, we need to be able to sustain it.

Last year, due to Covid-19, a number of Twiddle concerts were cancelled – many of which, would have led to direct donations to local charities. Also, last December would have been our Month of Giving. This got us thinking. What if we combined the two in honor of Black History Month?

While February is an opportunity to pay respect to the many contributions of African Americans, it is also a chance for us to raise awareness for some incredible organizations who are providing direct aide to individuals while dismantling the constructs of systemic racism through their work.

So, during February’s Giving Tour we will be supporting organizations on the frontline of ending food apartheid and eliminating cash bail and the school to prison pipeline.

Thanks to Twiddle and all of you, we are guaranteeing each organization a $1,000 grant. Additionally, 100% of all direct donations received through this campaign will be added to total amount and shared by the selected charities.

Like we did last winter, we will be sharing information about the organizations throughout this month along with details about the causes.

Love Relentlessly.

There is a lot we can say about 2020 but we are going to start and stop with THANK YOU. The support we received from Twiddle and all of you has set much in motion for 2021, which we are excited to share with you. We are grateful for everything you have done to help us learn, grow, and help others. While 2020 can best be summed up as being reactive, 2021 will be, dare we say it, proactive.

Thank you for supporting White Light Wednesdays and helping us provide much needed aid for both artists and those facing hunger.

Thank you for teaching us and sharing your experiences and ideas so we can give more effectively and purposefully, especially when it comes to systemic racism (much more on this after the New Year).

Thank you for donations, your birthday fundraisers, and for keeping us top of mind and in your hearts.

Thank you to our amazing volunteers, we cannot wait to be able to spread our light in person again.

Thank you to our Board of Directors for your tireless contributions and support. Welcome to the Board, Greg Knight, your impact has been immediate and awesome. We are thrilled and lucky to have you.

Thank you Mihali, Zdenek, Ryan and Brook, for your music, inspiration, energy, and support.

We LOVE you all RELENTLESSLY and wish you a safe and happy New Year.

In March of 2019 with your help we established two scholarships at Castleton University to honor Twiddle‘s roots. Both provide annual grants to current students in need. The Bronze Fingers scholarship supports music students specifically and the Luvaduck scholarship is open to students who make a significant charitable impact on their community.

Over the holidays we received word that our dear Frends, Peter and Heidi Hallock of the Hallock Family Foundation have donated an additional $10,000 across our scholarships. Their incredible generosity could not come at a better time as so many students are being impacted by the pandemic, Their gift will also enable us to extend our funding and increase the base amount of the grants.

Thank you Peter and Heidi, Love Relentlessly.

Frends, We are sad there is not a Woodchuck Cider presents White Light Wednesday to look forward to tonight. However, we are so grateful to all the amazing bands, sponsors and donors who made the past 12 weeks an amazing success. We are thrilled to announce we will be sending $2,600 checks to the following 11 organizations who are helping those battling food insecurity through these uncertain times:

HOPE – Helping Overcome Poverty’s Effects. Middlebury, VT
World Harvest Community Center. Los Angeles, CA
Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank, Fredericksburg, VA
Buddy System, Miami, FL
Open Arms of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
Food Bank For New York City, NY, NY
Food Bank of the Rockies, Denver, CO
Meals on Main Street by Caritas, Port Chester, NY
Atlanta Community Food Bank, Atlanta, CA
Feeding Chittenden, Burlington, VT
Connecticut Food Bank, Wallingford, CT

We would like to thank all the bands and artists who “filled [our] love with sound:” Twiddle, Gubbulidis, Mihali, Zdenek Gubb, Eggy, Hayley Jane, Rob Compa, Keller Williams, Elliott Peck, Jesse Bardwell, Zach Nugent, Soule Monde (Ray Paczkowski & Russ Lawton), Kat Wright Trio, the grift, Joe Cirotti, Peter Lister and Kitchen Dwellers.

We would also like to thank all of the amazing donors and underwriters who made the series possible (with a very special thank you to our dear Frend, Bill Seed) and powered us to over $27,000 in total donations. We LOVE each and every one of you RELENTLESSLY. Not to mention all of you who shared, liked and tuned in helping us reach over 400,000 people during the run.

Finally, we would like to thank the amazing team who made sure we looked good, sounded good and made it into your personal venue each Wednesday night: Rachel Johnson, Samuel Johnson, Daniel Robb, Edmund Edwards, Kevin Rondeau, Katie Irwinning, Leah Friedman.

While we cannot wait to be able to see you all at shows and be closer to each of you, we feel so fortunate to have your support during these socially distanced times. We look forward to sharing with you what is next and until then, Love Relentlessly.

We are so thrilled to wrap up the Woodchuck Cider presents White Light Wednesdays series with our good Frends, the Kitchen Dwellers. “Montana-bred bluegrass outfit Kitchen Dwellers are captivating fans across the country with their high-energy live performances and unique approach to traditional music that fans have dubbed Galaxy Grass,” and we are so grateful to them for helping us support those battling food insecurity.

We hope you will join us Wednesday 8/26 at 8:00 PM EST. Help us raise much needed funds for local and regional food pantries around the country. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, 100% of all donations will help those in need. paypal.me/wlfdonate.

Love Relentlessly.

We are thrilled to welcome Joe Cirotti and Pete Lister with special guest Mihali for this week’s Woodchuck Cider presents White Light Wednesdays from the Woodchuck Cider Tasting Room.

“Joe Cirotti is a multi-instrumentalist based in Hackettstown, NJ. He performs solo and with his rock band, Only Living Boy. Cirotti’s songwriting recently took a turn towards the acoustic side and last year, he released his second solo album “Mood Swings”. Cirotti’s work has drawn comparisons to Nick Cave, Ryan Adams and Elliot Smith.”

We hope you will join us Wednesday 8/19 at 8:00 PM EST. Help us raise much needed funds for local and regional food pantries around the country. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, 100% of all donations will help those in need. paypal.me/wlfdonate.

Love Relentlessly.

We are thrilled to welcome Clint & Peter from The Grift for this week’s Woodchuck Cider presents White Light Wednesdays from the Woodchuck Cider Tasting Room.

“The Grift is an independent band from Burlington, VT. Their sound defies easy categorization, blending booty-shaking grooves and improvisation with radio-friendly hooks, witty lyrics, and tight vocal harmonies. Join Clint and Peter of The Grift this coming Wednesday (8/12) with a special sit-in by Mihali.

We hope you will join us Wednesday 8/12 at 8:00 PM EST. Help us raise much needed funds for local and regional food pantries around the country. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, 100% of all donations will help those in need. paypal.me/wlfdonate.

Love Relentlessly.

Since 2015, In partnership with Twiddle, the White Light Foundation’s mission has been to support local organizations important to the band and the fan base. In this moment of social unrest and massive uprising, Twiddle and WLF recognize we need to support the vital work of organizations to undo the systemic racism and economic imbalance that is embedded in our society and culture.

On Monday, August 24 at 7:00 PM EST we are hosting a Zoom call to engage the Twiddle community in a conversation about how we can use our model to support the Movement for Black Lives. Register here whitelightfoundation.org/black-lives-matter

This space is being created to hear from Black People, Indigenous People, and People of Color (BIPOC), and non-BIPOC Accomplices & Allies on topics such as the history of structural racism in our society, the role of the Black Lives Matter movement, the meaning and mechanisms of effective allyship and fostering inclusivity in our community.

Facilitating this discussion will be Tommy Guerrero, Callie Jayne and Greg Knight. All three are Frends of Twiddle, members of the jam scene and are also involved in Racial Justice work in their communities.

If you are interested in participating please RSVP here. Please note, spaces are limited.

We are thrilled to welcome Kat Wright’s for this week’s Woodchuck Cider presents White Light Wednesdays from the Woodchuck Cider Tasting Room.

“Kat Wright, whose voice is both sultry and dynamic, delicate yet powerful; gritty but highly emotive and nuanced, has been described as “a young Bonnie Raitt meets Amy Winehouse”. Add to that voice enough stage presence to tame lions, and the combination of feline femininity proves immediately enchanting. There’s soul flowing in and out of her rock ‘n’ roll with a serpentine seduction. Some of soul music’s sweet, grand dames belt, shout, seethe, and succumb, while Wright sings gently like a heartache’s apology. It’s funky in spots and beautiful all over. And it hurts a little … like it should.”

We hope you will join us Wednesday 8/5 at 8:00 PM EST on facebook when the Kat Wright Trio helps us raise much needed funds for local and regional food pantries around the country. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, 100% of all donations will help those in need. paypal.me/wlfdonate.

Love Relentlessly.

This coming Wednesday we are thrilled to welcome Soule Monde (Ray Paczkowski & Russ Lawton) with special guest Mihali to the Woodchuck Cidery. Soule Monde is avant funk erupting from the syncopated minds of power drummer Russ Lawton + B3 wizard Ray Paczkowski. We hope you will join us this Wednesday at 8:00 EST! The stream can be viewed from WLF facebook page, Woodchuck Cider, Soule Monde or JamBase (thank you JamBase for your support!). And of course, thank you all for helping us help others. 100% of all donations will help those in need. paypal.me/wlfdonate. Love Relentlessly.