Cleveland Metal Holiday Food Drive Receives Record Donations

WJCU 88.7 FM and Auburn Records hosted a food drive for the Cleveland Foodbank and Friends Of The Cleveland Kennel on December 23 at The Saw Concert Club in Cleveland, Ohio.

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

This year's donation totals were as follows: 2,159 lbs. of food collected (1,825 lbs. for the Cleveland Foodbank and 334 lbs. for the Friends Of The Cleveland Kennel) and $872.76 of cash collected ($391.39 for the Cleveland Foodbank and $481.38 for the Friends Of The Cleveland Kennel).

"The support from the Cleveland metal community is unprecedented and unbelieveably amazing!" says festival organizer, Auburn Records president and WJCU "Metal On Metal" host Bill Peters. "We completely shattered last year's totals, which were over triple the amount we had collected in 2009. I did not think it was possible, especially considering the difficult economic times we are still experiencing in this region. We've taken this event to a whole new level. Our food donations increased significantly by 72% and our cash donations increased by an astounding 310%! We filled two vans and three large containers at the Foodbank with food. Cash donations were received both at the concert and online from fans and radio listeners as far away as Germany and England. The club was at full capacity with close to 500 in attendance and the bar had record sales, selling completely out of alcohol by the end of the night! It was our biggest turnout yet."

This year's festival included performances by ETERNAL LEGACY, SOULLESS, SHOK PARIS, CRYPTKICKER, GROUND ZERO, BORROWED TIME and ALTERNATE REALITY. Admission to the concert was free. All production and marketing costs were covered by Peters and his sponsors The Exchange and Production Assistance. The bands and The Saw Concert Club donated their time and venue, respectively.

The benefit was co-hosted by Dave Overkill (DESTRUCTOR) and Aurora Sans (RED HOT HEATHENS).

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 the previous two 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.

Pictured below: Bill Peters stands by one of three large containers filled with food donations being checked in and weighed at the Cleveland Foodbank.