Life is good Festivals rally good people around a great cause. All of our festivals are free to the general public. Money is raised through the national sales of Life is good festival merchandise, festival sponsorships, personal donations at the festivals, and additional Life is good monetary donations. To date, over 300,000 people have enjoyed our good old-fashioned outdoor festivals and helped Life is good raise nearly $4 million, every penny of which has been donated to extraordinary children's charities.

How It All Started: Discovering Our Purpose

Life is good has received many memorable and moving letters over the years from people who feel a special bond with our products and the simple, optimistic messages they carry. This has been especially true of people who face great adversity. Providing hope and relief in a time of adversity was the motivation for Life is good's first significant fundraising effort following the tragedy of September 11, 2001.

The public's overwhelming response to our American flag tees enabled us to make a $207,000 donation to the United Way on behalf of families whose loved ones were victims of the terrorist attacks. That experience enabled us to see more clearly the opportunity to have a sustained, positive impact through charitable giving. Good, old-fashioned outdoor festivals seemed just right for our brand and our values.

Spreading Good Vibes Nationwide

Life is good held our first fundraising festival in Portland, Maine in October, 2003. The response from the community was phenomenal and well beyond what we expected. Thousands enjoyed the day, and over $52,000 was raised for nearby Camp Sunshine, a retreat for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families.

With every successive year, these Festivals have grown. In 2006, in addition to a big Boston-based Watermelon Festival and a world record-breaking Pumpkin Festival, 16 additional communities in 8 states outside New England held Life is good Festivals. For the first time that year, good vibes were spread from sea to shining sea, thanks to a strong partnership with Newland Communities, the nation's leading developer of master-planned communities.

October 21, 2006 was an especially memorable day. On that day more than 100,000 people attended the Life is good Pumpkin Festival in Boston and helped set a new world record for carved, lit pumpkins. And on the very same day, 15 different Newland Communities held Life is good Pumpkin Festivals in 7 different states. Together, a whopping $590,000 was raised for kids in need.

18 more Life is good Festivals were held in 2007, including Life is good at Fenway, a unique celebration of good old-fashioned summer fun and Americana at Fenway Park, the nation's best-loved ballpark. A smiling crowd enjoyed a field of dreams day as they discovered colorful games, shows, activities, giveaways, contests and live music in every corner of Friendly Fenway. Together, we hit one out of the park — our biggest fundraiser ever, with a total of $802,636 raised for kids.

Only the Beginning

The progress to date is exciting, but Life is good has  only just begun. There are ambitious plans for the expansion of Life is good Festivals in the years ahead. We see the opportunity to multiply smiles nationwide and around the world, and in so doing, provide increasing levels of support to children in need.