Blogs :: Giving Back

TW Walsh Helps Community Rebuild Local Park

By Adam Vitcavage at 3:18 PM on February 8, 2012

From his backyard in Stoneham, Mass. TW Walsh can see a rundown park that the town has long forgotten and where teenagers sneak away to drink at night. His wife, Tania, and a group of other mothers in the town grew tired of the eyesore that is Rounds Playground about a year ago and decided to do something about it. The group of friends started a non-profit organization called Rebuilding Rounds to help raise awareness in the community about a park that has been long since forgotten. “It’s in real bad disrepair,” Walsh said while describing the park, “Hundreds of... read more

Arcade Fire Announces Charity Campaign to Help Rebuild Haiti

By John Barrett at 5:45 PM on December 5, 2011

This year Arcade Fire has taken the true spirit of holiday giving to heart. In a report today by Pitchfork, the Canadian indie-rock band is teaming up with nonprofit organization Kanpe to donate money to the rebuilding of Haiti. To encourage support, frontman Win Butler is asking the group’s fan base (which, since the band released The Suburbs in 2010 and subsequently won a Grammy, has grown considerably) to donate to Kanpe, promising to match every donation given up to $300,000. He’s also promised to send along a thank-you postcard to each potential donor signed by himself and wife/bandmate... read more

Roger Daltrey and Robert Plant Launch Teen Cancer Center

By John Barrett at 1:50 PM on November 7, 2011

The Who vocalist Roger Daltrey is taking action to address a specific “teenage wasteland”: specialized care for adolescents suffering from cancer. Alongside former Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant, Daltrey held a press conference at UCLA in Los Angeles on Friday to announce the launch of his newly formed foundation, the Daltrey/Townshend Teen & Young Adult Cancer Program, which is focused on expanding the options and resources available to sick teenagers in an environment where people are classified merely as adults or children. Co-founder and The Who bandmate, guitarist Pete Townshend, was unable to attend the press conference due to... read more

Taco Bell's Feed the Beat Promotion Raises Awareness and Funds for World Hunger Relief

By K. Alexander Smith at 5:05 PM on October 14, 2011

Coinciding with the announcement of this year’s artist lineup for Taco Bell’s annual Feed the Beat artist promotion, Taco Bell and the involved artists are launching a social media campaign to raise awareness and funds for World Hunger Relief, “the world’s largest private sector hunger relief effort to raise awareness, volunteerism and funds to benefit the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and other hunger relief agencies.” Participating artists, including Andre WK, Portugal. The Man, Neon Trees, Hot Chelle Rae, Chiddy Bang, Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr, Ra Ra Riot, The Dodos, The Drums and many others will be using their... read more

Lucasfilm Spearheads Star Wars-Themed "Stand Up To Cancer" Donation Drive

By K. Alexander Smith at 5:02 PM on September 15, 2011

Today Lucasfilm announced that they are teaming up with eBay, Major League Baseball and a host of celebrities to spearhead a donation drive, with all parties involved asking fans to “Use the Force for good” and support Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C), a charitable program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation that raises funds for cancer research. The announcement was made in celebration of the September launch of Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-Ray. eBay will be hosting a special online destination where folks can bid in a charity auction on exclusive items such as a Star Wars edition 2012... read more

BBC Children in Need: Rocks Manchester Benefit Concert Lineup Announced

By K. Alexander Smith at 2:00 PM on September 14, 2011

On Nov. 17, charity organization BBC Children in Need will be putting on a benefit concert, organized by English singer-songwriter Gary Barlow. The event will be held at the M.E.N. Arena and will be hosted by Fearne Cotton, Chris Moyles and David Tennant, and will be broadcast on BBC One and BBC HD. So far the lineup includes: Michael Buble Coldplay Elbow JLS Lady Gaga Hugh Laurie James Morrison N Dubz Snow Patrol Ed Sheeran From the event’s press release, “BBC Children in Need currently makes grants to 2,000 voluntary projects, community groups and registered charities who offer practical, lasting... read more

Régine Chassagne, Eddie Vedder, Owen Pallett Cover Springsteen's "My City of Ruins" at Fundraiser

By K. Alexander Smith at 12:53 PM on September 12, 2011

During the Toronto Film Festival this past weekend, Arcade Fire’s Régine Chassagne, Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, and Owen Pallett (formerly Final Fantasy) took the stage during a benefit luncheon held by Artists for Peace and Justice to play a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “My City of Ruins.” Artists for Peace and Justice is a non-profit organization set up in the wake of the 2010 earthquake that rocked Port-au-Prince in Haiti. The organization handles relief in the still-recovering town, building schools and providing medical supplies, clean water and food. “My City of Ruins” has been a popular benefit song since Springsteen... read more

Arcade Fire, Mumford & Sons, Beck and Others Performing at Bridge School Benefit

By K. Alexander Smith at 4:15 PM on September 8, 2011

Every year in October, Neil Young and his wife Pegi organize the Bridge School Benefit Concert, gathering popular musicians for an all-acoustic, non-profit charity event held at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, Calif. This year the 25th Annual Bridge School Benefit Concert will feature Beck, Arcade Fire, Mumford & Sons, Foo Fighters, Dave Matthews and others. All proceeds go directly to the operation of the The Bridge School. From their website: The Bridge School is a non-profit organization whose mission is to ensure that individuals with severe speech and physical impairments achieve full participation in their communities through the... read more

Dean Ween to Host First Annual Charity Baseball Game

By John Barrett at 3:40 PM on September 7, 2011

Mickey Melchiondo—better known as Dean Ween, lead guitarist and co-founder of the bizarre psychedelic rock duo Ween—announced Sunday that he plans to host a special charity baseball game. More specifically, the game will benefit the American Cancer Society: All related proceeds and donations will go directly to the foundation. The game is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 2 at 1 p.m. and will take place at New Hope High School in Melchiondo’s hometown of New Hope, Pa. Deaner has made specific note that the game is “baseball, not softball” and that only one game will be played. In the short period... read more

Flood Relief: Black Eyed Peas Raise $1.3 Million in North Dakota, Phish To Hold Similar Event in Vermont

By K. Alexander Smith at 1:05 PM on September 7, 2011

The Black Eyed Peas performed at a benefit concert in Minot, N.D. last Saturday, drawing out almost 16,000 attendees and raising over $1.3 million for flood relief, according to the Associated Press. Josh Duhamel (Transformers trilogy)—Minot native and husband of Black Eyed Peas member Fergie, spoke at the event, which also featured a performance by Minneapolis-based alt rockers Charlz Newman. On a related note, Phish will be performing a similar benefit concert in the band’s native Vermont, according to a release on their website. The concert will be held at Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction on Sept. 14. Speaking... read more