This June, the band SWITCHFOOT will host their 15th Annual BRO-AM, a day of celebration featuring music, surfing, and community. Each year, they raise funds to give back to youth-based charities in their native hometown of San Diego, CA. Together we kicked off a partnership in 2016 to support our grants in the Chula Vista Elementary School District. To date, BRO-AM has donated $65,000 to support musical instrument grants in three schools! Back in March of 2016, STM school, Montgomery Elementary gave SWITCHFOOT a warm welcome as we kicked things off.
And the Montgomery kids joined the band on stage at BRO-AM 2016 to sing along!
The next year, music teacher Jonathan Seligman, and his Casillas Elementary choir joined Switchfoot onstage at BRO-AM 2017 to sing the song,“Float!”
For BRO-AM 2018, a very talented young violist from STM school, Wolf Canyon Elementary, played along to the song, “Live it Well” on stage!
With BRO-AM’s most recent $15,000 donation to Save The Music in 2018, they made an Intro to Music Grant possible at Castle Park Elementary school. Check them out playing their glockenspiels and singing their hearts out for a crowd of 15,000 at BRO-AM weekend 2019!
SWITCHFOOT BRO-AM Foundation Mission: The SWITCHFOOT BRO-AM Foundation is dedicated to giving back to the San Diego community by heightening the profile of and providing grants to nonprofit organizations that provide services to homeless, at-risk and disadvantaged youth, with a special focus on programs related to music, art and surfing.
We endeavor to give back to the next generation, to partner with others who do the same and to inspire more people to give back in meaningful ways. BRO-AM has become a movement of givers and doers who believe that when each person plays their part, together exponential positive impact is possible.
BRO-AM FOCUSES ON INITIATIVES IN TWO AREAS THAT CREATE A THRIVING FUTURE:
Physical and Community wellbeing – through food, shelter, health, belonging, connecting.
Opportunity and Empowerment – through music, art, surfing and education.
Vision: The SWITCHFOOT BRO-AM Foundation strives to create a thriving future for every kid.
Our Story: Over a decade ago, we sat on a flight home from Australia and talked about some of the amazing places we had visited around the globe. We kept coming back to a single truth – the place that meant the most to us, our favorite place to be, was HOME.
Sunny, beautiful San Diego has been an integral part of the people and musicians we have become. Music, art, surfing, access to the outdoors – these outlets kept us out of trouble and offered us a way to think about the big questions in life. The communities we grew up in believed in those outlets, and we do too.
On that flight home, we dreamed up an idea to give something back to our hometown, to rally our amazing community, and to invest in kids who might need a hand up.
What if we could bring together friends from the surf industry and the music industry for a charity surf contest that raised funds for kids in need? What if we gave a free concert on the beach? What if we used our stage to let homeless and at-risk youth know that their stories were powerful – as powerful as the music we play every night? We want those kids to know that they matter and that we celebrate the tenacity of the journey they are taking, and that we want to invest in their futures.
That’s how the BRO-AM was born. Over a decade later, our idea has grown into two iconic San Diego events – BRO-AM’s Benefit Party and Beach Fest. At the Benefit Party, join 500+ industry leaders, tastemakers, influencers, professional athletes, musicians, artists, and philanthropists for a fundraising event like none other. At the Beach Fest, join 17,000+ in an empowering community movement of giving through a day of surf, food, fun, and live music.
Through both events, we shine a spotlight on some incredible San Diego organizations who are already mobilized in the community, making a concrete impact every day.
Numerous companies and countless individuals give generously year after year to partner with us in raising awareness and funds for local organizations that support deserving local youth. BRO-AM has grown bigger than a rock band trying to do some good. It’s a community of compassionate, generous people coming together to make a difference in our world by investing in the next generation. We are honored to be part of this movement.