Imagine a world without future rock legends. A world where budget cuts have silenced the music in schools, leaving kids without instruments and a chance to unleash their musical creativity. At Keep Children Rockin’, we’re here to turn up the volume and fight for the future of music!
Tragically, the world lost Griffin Kolinski shortly after the first Dead of Winter Fest. To ensure his memory lives on, the Dead of Winter Fest has an annual #ForTheFather award that is given to one band who represents the artistry of what Griffin stood for. Despite this loss, the cause continued on. In 2015, Keep Children Rockin became a formal 501c3 non-profit with a founding board of Paul Sokol and John Odell (the guitarist from Sokol’s college band who is 100% behind the cause).
By 2020, Keep Children Rockin’ had transformed into a full-blown three-city state tour, culminating in a two-day festival in Phoenix. Through these tireless efforts, the organization had donated over $15,000 worth of equipment repairs and donations to nearly 20 music programs across the state of Arizona.
When we receive an instrument, it gets a full tune up. In the past, we have partnered with local vendors to repair a whole classroom’s worth of equipment!