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 total food collected in 2010 was 1,256 lbs. and the total cash collected was $213, which equates to increases this year of 72% and 310% increase respectively. 

"The support from the Cleveland Metal Community is unprecedented and amazing!", says festival organizer, Auburn Records president and WJCU "Metal On Metal" host Bill Peters. "We completely shattered last year's 
totals, which were triple the amounts 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, but the fans came through yet again.  All I can say is thank you very much!"

“The Cleveland Foodbank is enormously grateful to everyone at WJCU and their many generous heavy metal fans for their generous support", says Anne Goodman, Cleveland Foodbank CEO. "Thousands of meals will be made possible for struggling 
families because of their contributions!”

"We want to thank Bill Peters and the Auburn team for putting this wonderful event together", says Dave Walchanowicz from the Friends of the Cleveland Kennel. "I know it took a lot of work, and it was truly a great event.

"Although we normally see the worst society has to offer, what we saw at this benefit concert was the best part of our society. The part that gives from the heart, and truly wants to help those in need.  We want to thank all the fans in 
the Cleveland Metal Community for their generosity and continued support of these events.  We know many of your faces and are amazed by how you are all truly one big family.  Kudos again to all the people involved in this event.  We 
would like to thank each and everyone one of them."

The club was filled to capacity with just under 500 in attendance.  The bar posted record sales, selling completely out of their entire inventory by the end of the evening.

Bands performing at the festival this year included 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).  A special guest appearance was made by North Canton, Ohio's Teresa Theiss, the current Ms. Ohio U.S. United and a heavy metal fan!

Germany's Iron Ingo Stührenberg was not able to attend this year due to work commitments.  Ingo 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.

"It´s absolutely great the donations topped last year´s total by so much", says Ingo.  "I want to say THANK YOU to all my friends and people who donated so generously to help the Cleveland Foodbank and The Friends of the Cleveland Kennel 
to make a difference. Again it shows how close the Heavy Metal Community stands together in Ohio and worldwide.  I feel very proud and happy to be part of it and wish all of you a great start into the new year.  I will see 
you in Cleveland in 2012. THANK YOU and ROCK ON!

The event was co-sponsored by John Carroll University radio station WJCU 88.7 FM.  WJCU is part of the Cleveland college radio coalition with WCSB 89.3 FM (Cleveland State University), WRUW 91.1 FM (Case Western Reserve University) and 
WBWC 88.3 FM (Baldwin Wallace College), 4 powerful radio stations committed to providing alternative programming on the lower left end of the dial.  All stream their signals live worldwide as well. It has been well-known in music industry circles that Cleveland has the best college radio market anywhere in the world.

"The staff and management of WJCU would like to thank Bill Peters and the legion of talented musicians, tech crew, and volunteers whose efforts made the third annual Iron Ingo Cleveland Metal Holiday Food Drive (co-sponsored by Auburn 
Records and WJCU) a tremendous success", says WJCU General Manager Mark Krieger.
 
"As some of you know, Bill (Peters) brainstormed this benefit 3 years ago as a way of complementing our annual Blizzard Bash fundraiser for the Greater Cleveland Hunger Network, and it’s been ramping up ever since.  This year’s 
performance, not to be outdone by the Blizzard Bash, set a new benchmark, collecting over 2,100 Lbs of food (yes, that’s the better part of a ton) and a substantial monetary donation, all of which are being turned over to the Cleveland 
Foodbank and Friends of the Cleveland Kennel.
 
"Of course, this all comes at a time when donations to food banks around the country are down, and the need is greater than ever 
 
"So again, congratulations, and thank you all for your outstanding and selfless efforts.  Once again, the members of Cleveland’s Metal Community have demonstrated that while their heads may be iron, their hearts are 24-karat gold – and 
that’s some heavy metal!"

"We have a very special heavy metal family here in Cleveland", adds Peters.  "It's about so much more than just the music.  There's a sense of community pride involved too.  Heavy metal fans are the most generous when it comes to supporting good causes.  We have seen them rise to the occasion a number to times to help out those in need. I have dedicated my life to helping others and am very proud to have been part of this scene for the past 30 years.  Working together we have made a positive impact and difference in our community with these food drives."

 

Dave Walchanowicz from the Friends of the Cleveland Kennel picks up food donations at The Saw Concert Club.

Left to right: Team Auburn's Jason Parks, Bill Peters, Tony Alberts and Bill Sims
Top: Saw Concert Club manager Dennis Fuldauer as "Eddie"

Left to right: Auburn Records president, Bill Peters with Team Auburn's Tony Albers, Bill Sims and Jason Parks as the "Iron Ingos"!

One of two vans is packed and ready to transport donations from The Saw Concert Club to the Cleveland Foodbank.

Auburn Records president Bill Peters stands by one of three large containers filled with food donations being checked in and weighed at the Cleveland Foodbank.

Containers filled with donations from the food drive are waiting to be processed at the Cleveland Foodbank.



Cleveand Foodbank warehouse staffers Richard Garrison (left) and George Colon (right) with Bill Peters.