In just a few days, nearly 80,000 people will gather in the Nevada desert to celebrate creativity at its most extreme.

Tens of thousands of “burners” will do pretty much whatever they want, and in the process will build incredible pieces of art and architecture, make beautiful music, and express themselves in almost every way possible.

Most people plan months — and some even years — in advance of the event. It’s the topic of conversation weeks leading up to the late summer expedition. Costumes are envisioned and carefully crafted. Materials for survival, art, bartering, and entertainment are curated and packed up.

It’s not easy venturing out to Black Rock City — even for the Silicon Valley crowd with all of their on-demand apps promising simple travel. A huge amount of fossil fuels are burned getting to the site, and once there, thousands of generators are constantly powered up to keep people cool. RV rentals can run more than $10,000. Expansive camps on “the playa” are set up by subcontractors, who are often paid more than $100,000 to manage a camp and its facilities.

An enormous amount of time, energy and money goes in to bringing Burning Man to life. And when adding an approximate 10,000 new attendees each year, the impact keeps growing. In addition to being a cultural phenomenon, Burning Man is a massive opportunity to galvanize citizens to combine their passions for artistic expression, sharing and acceptance, and social good.

Imagine what we could accomplish collectively if each act of expression at Burning Man was aimed at creating social change.

At its very core, Burning Man is based on a culture of giving, as stated by its principles, but more importantly, as embodied through the burner experience.

Read the source article at Global Philanthropy Group.