Over $155,000 Raised by the Ronnie James Dio 5th Year Remembrance Celebration Weekend
for Cancer Research and Education
Eddie Trunk, Tom Morello, Jack Black, Wendy Dio & Kyle Gass at Pinz
Photo by Gene Kirkland
The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund, founded in memory of Ronnie James Dio, the legendary voice of Rainbow, Black Sabbath and Dio, presented a wonderful weekend of events from May 15-17 in Los Angeles, dubbed the RONNIE JAMES DIO’s 5th Year Remembrance weekend. The events included a BOWL FOR RONNIE Celebrity Bowling tournament and red carpet, a public Memorial Service celebration with performances and speeches, and the inaugural RIDE FOR RONNIE motorcycle ride and BBQ.
Designed to raise funds for cancer research and education, the weekend’s events and auctions brought in over $155,000 to go directly to these causes. Auctions included bowling pins autographed by artists such as Tenacious D, Aerosmith, Fleetwood Mac, YES, Anthrax and Metallica, a Dio guitar signed by artists in attendance to the bowling event (this guitar fetched a generous $6,100), a signed book of photography by PG Brunelli ($2,000 raised), and more.
The overlying theme of the weekend wasn’t just celebration, but in addition, learning how to prevent and detect cancer – early. The Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund cites early detection as a way that Ronnie could still be with us today, and many of the funds garnered from these events will go towards this type of education.
“Detecting cancer early saves lives and it gives doctors a better chance to cure cancer,” states Ronnie’s doctor Sandy Kapoor, MD. “We support research that develops new cancer screening tests and finds new targeted treatments that are more effective at treating cancer. I enjoyed manning the Check Yourself booth during the events this weekend that educated the fans about protecting against the ravages of skin cancer.”
The weekend began with a fun-filled BOWL FOR RONNIE charity bowling tournament at Pinz in Studio City, CA. Celebrities filed in one by one to walk down the star-studded red carpet, take photos and do interviews. Once finished, everyone made their way to the auction area for the signed pin charity auction and to get situated in their bowling lanes while DJ Will spun tunes. The fun began with weekend host Eddie Trunk kicking off the festivities with a speech, and the attendees began to bowl immediately. Award trophies were presented to the winners in each category:
Corporate Team 1st place – Bigg Time Entertainment / Monsters of Rock Cruise
Corporate Team 2nd place – Eagle Rock Entertainment
Corporate Team 3rd place – PRG
Honorable Mention / Highest Individual Score – Brian Slagel (Metal Blade Records)
Celeb 1st place – Michael Lardie
Celeb 2nd place – Gonzo Sandoval
Celeb 3rd place – Terry Ilous
Celeb last place (Horse’s Ass) – Henry Derek
Attendees to the red carpet and bowling event included Jack Black and Kyle Gass of Tenacious D, Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine, Steven Adler of Guns N’ Roses, Christian Martucci and Roy Mayorga of Stone Sour, several past members of Ronnie’s different musical groups, and many more.
FestPop Editorial Team
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