Walking into the light at Boardwalk Rock Fest 2025
“Life is hard and feelings are complex. When you’re overwhelmed, do anything that makes you happy, and believe it’s OK to feel down — you have the right to feel sad and to not feel guilty.
”
From May 17-18, HeartSupport joined Boardwalk Rock Festival in Ocean City, MD, sharing festival grounds with bands like Def Leppard, Rob Zombie, Halestorm, Bush, and Chevelle. They also joined tens of thousands of fans with their own stories and struggles.
HeartSupport had their innovative mobile support wall on site, and fans were able to share requests for support and have other attendees fill in answering compassion in real-time. The wall quickly filled up.
“Im overwhelmed with feelings & emotions that I feel selfish for having. I’ve tried to open up to those I’m closest to, but get a different reaction than I had hoped for. My feelings are dismissed. I feel selfish for not being able to control my emotions.”
— A request for support
“Always know you’re not alone in these feelings. I feel very similar to you and sometimes people don’t understand, but it’s OK. Your feelings are still valid.”
— A reply on the wall
“I wait for the dawn
Ready to walk into the light.”
“Desert Song” by Def Leppard
One respondent in particular took the time to share how shocked she was by the outpouring of solidarity that she experienced as soon as she opened up. Taylor is from Lincoln, Delaware, and had traveled to the festival to see some of her favorite bands.
“I was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder when I was 17. I’m 31 now,” Taylor explained. “I’ve been going through a lot of struggles. I don’t have many friends. I’ve always kept to myself. I haven’t been to any doctors or anything in about 15 years. When I first walked by here, you guys walked up to me and said, ‘We’re a support system for people.’ I was like, OK, I’ll write my little story.”
Taylor’s courageous vulnerability in writing about her significant struggles prompted an outpouring of support. Taylor came back to find her column full.
“When I saw it, I started tearing up right away. I really wasn’t expecting anything,” she says. “To know that there are so many people out there who have the same situations, and there are so many people who have the same amount of love for people like me. It just makes me feel better to know that I can go and do what I need to do to get the help that I need. It’s a big relief. And it is an eye-opener to know that people are behind me.”
HeartSupport staff and volunteers were sharing more information about other programs and avenues of support available through the organization, so Taylor heard about Support Calls. She signed up, and now she’ll be receiving a weekly call from someone who can walk with her through her struggles.
HeartSupport also showed up equipped with temporary tattoos featuring therapist-chosen lyrics from festival headliners. The tattoos were distributed far and wide as mobile messages of hope.
HeartSupport's Boardwalk Rock Fest Impact 2025
The festival was another massive success in the organization’s biggest festival year yet. Taylor had one last word of advice for anyone who might encounter the organization online or at a festival or concert: “Talk to HeartSupport because they’re here for you.”
If you want to be part of an impact like this, there’s still time! Don’t miss your opportunity to heal the scene during the 2025 festival season.
