• Young Traditions is a really fabulous group: rare talents and special people. (Isaiah, Rock Point School)
• You do great work and have positive impact on many people's lives - keep on doing what you are doing. (C.J., Rock Point School)
• ....it was a wonderful opportunity for which wouldn't have happened without you there to make the connection. (Erich, parent)
• I appreciate your willingness to host…… I heard it went great! I am always open to working with you for! (Chris, Bread and Butter Farm)
• I just wanted to say thank you for Saturday! I love playing at the festival…… I wish I wasn't so busy and could have more time to play! I am excited to keep performing throughout the year, especially now that I have a few more people to play with! Hope everything is going well….. see you soon! (Haliana, musician)
In 2001 Mark Sustic and Deborah Travis lost their son Tom, age 16, after a 2-year battle with leukemia. Over the course of their lives as a family, including Mark's involvement as a musician, teacher and event producer, they had connections with a wide variety of performers. In 2002 several musicians offered to do a performance as part of a series of concerts in Burlington designed to create and sustain a fund established in Tom’s memory. The Tom Sustic Fund was established from those contributions, and has continued with its support families who have children with terminal illnesses at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Vermont and the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire.
In 2009 Young Tradition Vermont was incorporated as a non-profit organization to weave together several projects that had started with efforts to establish and support the Fund.
United under the umbrella of a non-profit organization with 501c3 status and a Board of Directors these related endeavors are the fabric of Young Tradition Vermont, what we like to think of as a gateway to the world of traditional dance and music in Vermont.