East Boston nonprofit celebrates 35 years of empowering young people with annual fundraiser
East Boston, MA – On Sunday, July 12, ZUMIX will host its annual Walk for Music, a celebration of music, community, and 35 years of serving young people. Held each July, the Walk gathers ZUMIX students, staff, families and other friends to walk through East Boston’s parks and neighborhoods to support ZUMIX’s award-winning music and youth empowerment programs.
This year’s event will begin at 3 pm at the ZUMIX Firehouse, located at 260 Sumner Street in East Boston. The walk itself will begin at 4 pm and end in Piers Park, where the festivities will continue with a free summer concert starting at 6 pm. The Walk is held in conjunction with the kickoff of the annual Eastie Weeks celebration hosted by Boston Harbor Now.
“Walk for Music is always a wonderful day for the ZUMIX community,” said Madeleine Steczynski, co-founder and executive director of ZUMIX. “We’re especially excited to gather this year, as we mark 35 years of ZUMIX. Our young people continue to inspire us—they are bold, creative, curious, and capable of building their own futures. The Walk is a great opportunity to honor our work, and raise support for our vital programs in music and the creative arts.”
Walk for Music is one of ZUMIX’s largest annual fundraisers, allowing the organization to keep its creative programs free and low-cost and serve more than 900 youth each year. Rooted in the East Boston community for 35 years, ZUMIX offers programs for young people ages 7-18 in songwriting and performance, creative media and technology, musical theater, private lesson instruction, and instrumental ensembles. Welcoming the community to its LEED-certified renovated Firehouse in East Boston, ZUMIX has created a space where creativity, belonging, and opportunity thrive.
On Sunday, July 12 at 3 pm, walkers will gather at the ZUMIX Firehouse at 260 Sumner Street for a pre-walk concert, with snacks and face painting, and begin the walk from there. ZUMIX is excited to welcome several Boston-area politicians to the 2026 Walk, including State Representative Adrian Madaro, a ZUMIX alumnus.
In case of inclement weather, the concert and celebration after the walk will take place at the ZUMIX Firehouse. Walkers can sign up to fundraise in advance on the event page at https://secure.givelively.org/donate/zumix-inc/walk-for-music-2026.
To donate, please visit https://secure.givelively.org/donate/zumix-inc/walk-for-music-2026, or send a check made out to ZUMIX to 260 Sumner Street, East Boston, MA, 02128. Donations will also be accepted on the day of the walk. To sign up to walk and/or fundraise, visit the GiveLively page above or sign up in person at ZUMIX.
About ZUMIX
ZUMIX’s mission is to empower young people to build successful futures for themselves – transforming lives and community through music, technology, and creative employment. ZUMIX works with more than 900 young people ages 7-18 each year. Free and low-cost programs are offered out-of-school in instrumental music, songwriting, performance, radio, audio engineering, and audio and video storytelling. ZUMIX also partners with local schools to bring arts education opportunities to Boston’s youth. In addition to youth programs, ZUMIX offers free concerts and events for all ages. For more information, visit www.zumix.org.
