WJCU 88.7 FM and Auburn Records hosted a food drive for the Cleveland Foodbank, Friends Of The Cleveland Kennel and Lake Humane Society on December 8 at the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland, Ohio.

Fans attending the fourth annual Iron Ingo Cleveland Metal Holiday Food Drive were encouraged to bring canned or non-perishable foods and cash donations to help those in need this holiday season. A donation was made from the Cleveland metal community to the Cleveland Foodbank, Friends Of The Cleveland Kennel and Lake Humane Society.

"We completely shattered last year's attendance and donation records!", says event organizer Bill Peters (WJCU, Auburn Records). "This by far was our best one yet. It was an amazing turnout! The venue was filled close to capacity the entire night. Our food donations increased 26% and cash donations 150% from last year. We received our most online donations ever.

"We've had significant across the board increases every year of this event.

"Heavy metal fans are the most generous in the world when it comes to supporting good causes. We care about our community and want to give something back to make our world a better place to live. Working together, we made this happen.

"Thank you to everyone who contributed and supported our food drive this year!"

This year's donation totals were as follows: 2,711 lbs. of food collected (2,300 lbs. for the Cleveland Foodbank and 411 lbs. for the Friends Of The Cleveland Kennel and Lake Humane Society) and $2,479.62 in cash donations ($1,012.85 for the Cleveland Foodbank, $837.35 Friends Of The Cleveland Kennel and $629.42 for Lake Humane Society).

"This annual concert is incredible!" says Anne Goodman, president and CEO, Cleveland Foodbank. "We can't thank Bill enough for all of his hard work in organizing this event.

"In this critical time of need for so many hungry families, it is encouraging to see so many people come together to support the hungry people in our community. We are so grateful for these donations. Every little bit can make a big difference and it truly means a lot."

"We love to have fun with the Foodbank staff when we make our delivery to their main distribution warehouse," adds Peters. "They can hear us coming from a mile away with our music cranked in the vans so loud.

"We 'metalized' repack lead person Joanne Wallace (pictured below) with a leather jacket, WJCU 'Metal On Metal' t-shirt and Iron Ingo hat and taught her the heavy metal sign of the horns. She was really getting into it!"

"Thank you so much to Bill Peters and all of those who came out to support, and play, in the fourth annual holiday food drive and metal show," says Becca Britton, Director, Friends Of The Cleveland Kennel.

"The Cleveland Kennel receives an average of 100 dogs a week. Your support means so much to us, and will surely be appreciated by the many homeless dogs and cats in need."

This year's festival included performances by SOULLESS, HOSTILE OMISH, BREAKER, IRON MESSIAH, WRETCH, AT NO END, DEADIRON, JULIA ROBERTS' GLOBAL WARNING and THE RED HOT HEATHENS. Admission to the concert was free. All production and marketing costs were covered personally by Peters with some help from his sponsor The Exchange. The bands and Beachland Ballroom donated their time and venue, respectively.

“The Beachland is honored to part of this annual food raising benefit for our Collinwood neighbor The Cleveland Foodbank," says Cindy Barber, co-owner Beachland Ballroom and Tavern. "Bill Peters and his caring heavy metal audience and crew overwhelmed us this year with boxes upon boxes of donations. We had to find new storage places!"

Iron Ingo Stührenberg is a writer for the popular German underground heavy metal webzine Metal Rules. He has traveled to Cleveland from his home in Wiesmoor, Germany, at his own expense, to host two of the previous food drive benefit concerts. His first visit to Cleveland was in 2009.

Stührenberg was unable to attend this year's event due to work commitments but issued this statement:

"I want to say THANK YOU to all people who came to the festival to help with food and cash donations, THANK YOU to all the bands and THE RED HOT HEATHENS burlesque dancers who performed for the good causes. THANK YOU to all technicians for light and sound to make the event so rocking great! And the biggest THANK YOU goes to my friend and brother Bill Peters who again organized a perfect event to help people and animals in need during this cold winter days.

"The heavy metal community proved again how big their heavy rocking hearts are and how generous they give when it comes to help out others in need. In union we stand again and will do forever!"

Check out photos of the concert at CleveScene.com.

Pictured below: Bill Peters dropping off food donations at the Cleveland Foodbank with repack lead person Joanne Wallace and with Friends Of The Cleveland Kennel director Becca Britton and rescued dog Stella at the Cleveland Kennel.

Flyer design by Claudia von Bihl