Over 1,000 turn out for Happiness Project Music Festival 3 in Milford

The Ronald McDonald House of Delaware and mental health awareness received a big boost July 9 when over 1,000 people attended The Happiness Project Music Festival 3 at Avenue United Methodist Church in Milford.

The event was organized by The Happiness Project Music Festival co-founders Jason Burlew and Candy Fortney, and combined local music with local nonprofit organizations and vendors. There were 32 musical performers from six different states, 23 nonprofit organizations and 13 vendors, all filling up the inside and outside of the church. The event benefited the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware.

"It was amazing to see everyone come together and radiate positivity and fun," Fortney said. "This was our largest crowd to date, and each event we have continues to get bigger, so we couldn't be more thrilled that this was such a success."

Some of the featured acts were Jocelyn Faro & The Ragazzi of Annapolis, Md.; Boy Wonder of Philadelphia; Kevin McCove of Dover; Cecilia Grace of Baltimore; Janelle of Baltimore; and Lexi Brinsfield of Dover. North Carolina pop-punk band Eyes Eat Suns and Virginia country singer Brianna Lauren made their Delaware debuts at the festival.

Nonprofit organizations represented include the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Delaware, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Delaware Council on Gambling, ContactLifelines, Kent-Sussex Counseling and Brandywine Counseling.

"We heard a lot of positive feedback about how everyone really enjoyed the music and loved the scope of the event to include nonprofit organizations and traditional vendors," Burlew said. "It was important for us to have a well-rounded event, and we definitely succeeded."

The Happiness Project Music Festival organizers hope to continue working with Avenue United Methodist Church, and specifically Milford and the surrounding area, on future events. "Milford seemed to really embrace everything we are trying to do with bringing in a positive community event that helped shine the light on issues that aren't talked about a lot," Fortney said. "And the crowd was extremely supportive of all the performers, which we were very happy to see since they come from all of the surrounding areas to donate their time."

Burlew and Fortney are always looking for local organizations and companies to partner with for events. For more information, email happinessmusicfest@yahoo.com.

The Happiness Project Music Festival was established in 2015 by Jason Burlew and Candy Fortney. It is a free one-day event that merges music and mental health awareness to provide community outreach and entertainment. The three festivals held to this date have included more than 60 performers and 30 nonprofit organizations, and have been attended by over 2,200 people. The primary goal of the event is to combine local music with local nonprofit groups and vendors to provide community outreach. The secondary goal is to collaborate with local businesses, nonprofit groups and community agencies to provide positive entertainment for their establishment, special event, or community program.

Burlew and Fortney are Delaware residents with a passion for mental health awareness and local independent music. Fortney has lived in Delaware her entire life; Burlew moved to Delaware in 2000 from Oregon. They have both been actively involved in volunteerism and supporting their communities for many years before establishing The Happiness Project Music Festival. For more information, go to www.facebook.com/happinessprojectmmh.