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On Friday night, The Wooly had an exhilarating atmosphere, with nearly 200 attendees singing and dancing as a local band swayed in the faint red glow of stage lights.
The crowd cheered all night long, but when it was announced that the attendees had raised his record $25,000 to end homelessness in Gainesville, they roared with excitement.
Tech Battle of the Bands, an event hosted by startGNV and GRACE Marketplace since 2014, returns in 2022 after his COVID-related hiatus since 2019. The annual event raises funds for GRACE Marketplace, a non-profit resource center for the homeless that provides food, shelter, job training and all the services needed to keep Gainesville residents free from homelessness.
At the event, his four bands, made up of local tech company employees, performed and competed against each other to raise money. StartGNV, a nonprofit that helps Gainesville innovators, created the event to bring the tech community together and end homelessness, said vice president Christine Caven. The event also raises awareness of technology’s impact on affordable housing, she said.
Jon DeCarmine, executive director of GRACE Marketplace, says tech companies are bringing more high-paying jobs to cities. The abundance of these jobs creates opportunities and drives people to these areas, resulting in higher rents. At the same time, it is pushing other people out through gentrification.
“When new tech companies come to town and start-ups emerge, homelessness is often more likely,” she said. To do.”
“The local tech community is trying to be proactive.” “They understand that if they want to have that kind of impact, they have to be part of the solution.”
His $25,000 raised by selling tickets and bidding on auction items will go directly to GRACE Marketplace to help pay for food, housing and other basic needs, he said. The organization operates approximately 140 shelters, provides 150,000 meals a year, and operates approximately 40 affordable housing units throughout Gainesville.
Tech Battle of the Bands not only raises money to end homelessness, but it unites Gainesville through a love of music. The band members played everything from keyboards to cowbells, and songs like “Twist and Shout” by The Beatles and “Can’t Stop” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers played.