On July 1st, in the spirit of Independence Day, music venues nationwide united to benefit those directly impacted by the Gulf Coast Oil Spill, and raised nearly $50,000 for the The Gulf Restoration Network, who is committed to uniting and empowering people to protect and restore the natural resources of the Gulf Region for future generations.

Visit Gulf Coast Benefit to learn more about Gulf Coast Benefit's press coverage, nonprofit partner, and participating venues. Follow on Twitter @GulfBenefit and Facebook at Gulf Coast Benefit Concerts.

Organizers: Casey Phillips (co-organizer), Nic Adler & Megan Jacobs (co-organizer / artist outreach), Sloane Berrent (co-organizer / orchestrator), Kathryn Thorpe (venue relations), Nathan Levinson (social media outreach), Vance Kelly (graphic design / logo) and Taylor Davidson (web design).

Contact Sloane Berrent (sloane@answerwithaction.com) for press inquiries, how to get involved with future events, and how to create your own fundraising campaign.

In alignment with the week of the fifth anniversary of Katrina, on August 25th CitizenGulf's National Day of Action - promoted by Gulf Coast Benefit - raised nearly $10,000 for Catholic Charities of New Orleans to help fishing families affected by the BP oil spill find a new, more sustainable future by providing education resources for their children.

Visit CitizenGulf to learn more about CitizenGulf and CitizenGulf's National Day of Action, and click here to make a donation.

Organizers and Promotional Partners: Citizen Effect, Zoetica, Social Media Club, Sloane Berrent, Andy Sternberg, el-studio.com, Live Your Talk and Taylor Davidson.